The Spanish tax authorities have tightened controls on the invoicing of companies and the self-employed. What is new is the introduction of the Veri*factu Regulation. The new procedure is already seen as ‘Big Brother of accounting’.
With the new way of working, business transactions become more transparent. What is new is that the tax authorities provide outgoing invoices with a QR code. This allows invoice recipients to inform the Tax and Customs Administration directly through a smooth and efficient process.
New tax obligation: QR code
E-invoicing was already seen as a definitive step forward to streamline processes and improve tax control. However, with this new regulation, control will be further improved. Now, companies and self-employed people have to send a draft to the tax authorities before sending the invoice to the customer. The tax authorities return the invoice via a fast system, equipped with a QR code. Moreover, without the QR code, the invoice is not valid.
Tax and Customs Administration receives invoice first
This new Veri*factu regulation gives the tax authorities the role of first recipient of invoices, even before the customers themselves. Despite the promises that the process will be faster, it is inevitable that these new steps will delay the issuance of the procedure. Moreover, the extra control is seen as a “Big Brother of accounting”. An easy way to get real-time information about trade transactions. And also to collect taxes more efficiently.
New tax obligation easier for the customer
The Spanish tax authorities state that this method is more transparent for the customer. They can check all the details of the invoice and comply with tax obligations. For companies and the self-employed, it means that they report in real time. This new system is expected to bring benefits to taxpayers. However, it remains to be seen what the immediate impact will be. The question is therefore whether the benefit outweighs the new tax obligation.
