CWA 16460:2012

The guidance set out in this CWA addresses electronic invoicing within the scope of VAT. In practice, this includes the majority of business-to-business sales/purchase transactions, but other types of transactions may also be involved. The regulatory background for the practices set out herein is the EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC (1) as amended by Directive 2011/45/EU (2). Geographically, the practices set out herein are aimed at relevant invoices governed by at least one Member State’s law transposing this Directive. The authors of this CWA document do not exclude that this CWA can be used to enhance or ensure compliance with similar requirements in other countries; however caution should be exercised in drawing parallels between EU rules and those of countries outside the EU. Regulatory areas other than VAT are not specifically addressed in this CWA. The reader should remain cognisant of the fact that laws concerning the protection of personal data, corporate governance, customs, accounting and taxes other than VAT may impose different or additional requirements on electronic invoices. The CEN Code of Practice (3) also published as part of this workshop (CWA 16463) provides a high level overview of legal requirements, while this guidance gives more detailed information on implementing Einvoice processes.