VeriFactu deadlines, alternatives and advantages
Invoices can be a problem for self-employed workers in Spain. Now, the Tax Agency (AEAT) is going to carry out changes to billing systems and there are many companies that still do not know what the new regulations and reality that they will have to face will be like. One of the new modalities will be Veri*Factualso known as VeriFactu, which aims to achieve greater control of commercial operations, reinforce transparency and reduce tax fraud.
When will it be mandatory?
Although most people will have to adapt to this new system, anyone who is subject to and uses the SII (Immediate Supply of Information) will not be obligated to change the billing system. Nor will those who are not domiciled in Spanish territory under the common regime, that is, Euskadi and Navarra. For the rest, it will be mandatory to adapt to the new regulations before the following dates:
- Before January 1, 2026: taxpayers liable to pay Corporate Tax.
- Before July 1, 2026: other companies and self-employed workers that use computerized billing systems.
How does the VeriFactu system work?
At the time an invoice is issued, the system must generate a billing record with an identification code and different data of the operation. Once generated, is sent to the Tax Agency instantly via telematics in a secure way without it being able to be altered later. This will have a QR code which allows the client or recipient to verify the invoice at the electronic headquarters of the Tax Agency.
In the event that this automatic sending is not carried out because there is a technical failure, the system must retry until the AEAT confirms that it has been received correctly. Furthermore, if the invoice is erroneous, it must be canceled by means of a cancellation registration in which its number is identified and thus a new one can be issued with a different number and date of issue.
The alternative to VeriFactu
One of the aspects worth highlighting is that this new reality that the self-employed will face will also have the possibility of a non-VeriFactu modality and you can choose between one or the other. In this, an invoice will be created and the software will generate a record with all the data required by the AEAT without it being possible to modify it. However, unlike VeriFactu, this It is saved on your servers or files and is not sent to the Tax Agency.
If required, the system must be able to generate a file with all the records, following the standard format defined by the AEAT. This means that, even if you do not automatically send these records, you will always You must keep them during the legal period in case the Tax Agency requests them. In addition, in many cases it will also involve adapting the software to the new Treasury standards.
What advantages will this new system have?
These new modalities will make there are some challenges, like the need to have billing software that is compatible and change or adapt the existing one before the established dates. Furthermore, another aspect that can be negative for many, at least at the beginning, is that invoices cannot be modified. In any case, the Tax Agency has shared some of the advantages that this new digital billing method will bring:
- More security.
- Fewer technical requirements for the computerized billing system.
- More reliable for clients, who can verify their invoices and tickets at the Tax Agency through an app that reads the QR included.
- You can count on the help of the Digital Kit.
- Allows you to download your invoices and those of your suppliers when they use VERI*FACTU.
- It facilitates assistance from the Tax Agency for compliance with tax obligations, by having more tax information available.
- For small businesses and self-employed workers, it will be possible to use the free computer application VERI*FACTU modality, at the electronic headquarters of the Tax Agency.
