The European Union is currently at a pivotal phase in the evolution of e-invoicing. The transition towards e-invoicing has been gradual but persistent, commencing with the publication of Directive 2014/55/EU.
On 5 November, during the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), the latest version of the VAT in the digital age (ViDA project) was updated.
The Polish government has presented a new set of legal solutions with the objective of providing taxpayers with the requisite tools to implement and utilise the KSeF. It is anticipated that this project will receive the necessary authorisation by the end of 2024.
The Italian government has petitioned the European Commission (EC) for authorization to further implement mandatory business-to-business (B2B) e-invoicing through a derogation to Articles 218 and 232 of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Directive. The current derogation is set to expire on 31 December 2024, and thus the Italian government is requesting an extension of the mandate for a further year.
On August 1, 2024, the mandatory pre-clearance e-invoicing regime for B2B, B2C and B2G transactions started in Malaysia. Known as the "soft launch", taxpayers with a turnover of more than MYR100 million were the first to be subject to the new mandate.
The Accounting software for resident companies has been made available by the Belgian Federal Public Service for Finance (FPS) for implementation from the 1st of January 2026. This coincides with the introduction of mandatory electronic invoicing. Furthermore, these software applications will facilitate the exchange of invoices in PEPPOL format.
After the changes in the Fourth Red Tape Reduction Act (Viertes Bürokratieentlastungsgesetz) and the Annual Tax Act 2024 (Jahressteuergesetz 2024), there will be a few key updates.
The French government is taking a further step towards the digitisation of commercial exchanges with the generalisation of electronic invoicing. This will improve the competitiveness of businesses by optimising payment deadlines and streamlining invoicing circuits. Furthermore, this measure will facilitate relations between businesses and the tax administration.
On 23 September, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) announced the commencement of a consultation process with the objective of promoting the adoption of e-invoicing by government administrations and businesses.
E-invoicing in Slovakia has been a reality since the introduction of draft Act No. 215/2019 Coll on secured e-invoicing and the central economic system, which transposes Directive 2014/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council. This was introduced in Parliament in April 2019.
