2023-06-22 03:30:17
Compliant dematerialized invoices thanks to the PAF
As soon as the Reliable Audit Trail was set up in 2013, we had to do a lot of information work with our customers. They already had to be trained in the PAF according to their type of company and therefore in secure and standardized invoices.
Invoices must now be established using dedicated software to check the life cycle of a transaction, and ensure that no fraud has been committed according to the regulations in force, while securing tax deductions (VAT, charges …).
Because supplier invoices have a commercial, tax, accounting and legal value, they participate in the calculation of corporation tax, and must be carefully kept. The objective is to secure all stages of the invoicing process in order to avoid fraud linked in particular to the deductibility of VAT.
Electronic invoicing, time saving and security
Electronic invoicing is quite different. It is the creation and automated processing of invoices between suppliers and buyers, according to a defined process.
It was created to meet several distinct objectives.
Firstly, for the State, it is a question of reducing the administrative burden on companies, that is to say facilitating the processing of their invoices for faster turnaround times, for more efficient and more secure management.
Since January 1, 2020, companies have been required to send their invoices to the public sector in electronic format. Then, the finance law for 2020 introduced the obligation of electronic invoicing in exchanges between companies subject to VAT, established in France.
It can materialize in several types of files but the mixed format is appropriate for companies that have private and professional customers. The advantage of the same format for everyone is that the individual only sees a PDF where the company can use the XML content (invoice_X type).
With the standardization of electronic invoicing, companies can freely choose to use two types of platforms:
either to the free Public Invoicing Portal (PPF) operated by the State, which is responsible for transmitting the data to recipients, including the tax administration, or to paying private Partner Dematerialization Platforms, approved by the Administration, which offer services to their members and transmit the data to the recipients and to the PPF which will then communicate them to the tax authorities.
The system takes into account the degree of digital maturity of companies. It will be rolled out gradually between 2024 and 2026.
Dates of application of the obligation to issue electronic invoices
Large companies, July 1, 2024 ETIs January 1, 2025 Generalized transition to VSEs-SMEs on January 1, 2026
Secondly, via these platforms, invoices are thus more easily validated to switch to automatic payment, just like the declarative processes in terms of VAT. Initially for the VAT collected, then the deductible VAT. Eventually, the tax authorities will be able to collect VAT automatically thanks to pre-filling. It’s a huge time saver.
Moreover, with the increasing use of these platforms, this will allow the tax authorities to improve the detection of fraud, obviously to the benefit of operators who are in good faith.
Then, it is also a fairly strong financial argument. The Minister of the Economy, Industry and Digital estimates the cost of processing an invoice between €14 and €20, including the time of entry, validation, payment, archiving and management of the dispute and to be multiplied by the number of annual invoices to be processed. With an electronic invoice, this cost drops to just €4.
Finally, the electronic invoice allows companies to efficiently simplify their accounting. Not to mention its CSR impact, thanks to the elimination of the paper invoice and its archiving.
The role of the Chartered Accountant, full-time advisor
Its role is to support its clients in this digital transformation.
“A single watchword: An-ti-ci-per! Our customers already have invoicing tools, sometimes not, it is a question of taking stock and preparing well for the transition to electronic invoicing. Because if everyone does it at the last minute, it is certain that it risks causing malfunctions.
It is necessary to ensure the completeness of the flows, to test the perfect compatibility of the management tools with the chosen platforms, to ensure the correct transmission of all the information, all the invoices, so that there is no loss along the way. This requires upstream tests, regular training of employees in the use of the interface concerned.
It will be impossible to send electronic invoices without using management software. Hence the importance of anticipating!
As a chartered accountant and business partner, we play an educational role around these new legislations and these new processes. Because for us too, it’s a real time saver and a big change. Today the entry of invoices represents 30% of the fee budget of an accountant firm. Tomorrow, with the standardized electronic invoice, we will save time. We will thus be able to focus 100% of our time on consulting missions to help our clients grow and support them in their development projects.
Finally, from the point of view of the auditor, the electronic invoice commits and also obliges employees to be honest. If the invoice is standardized and secure electronically, it will be easier for us to check and identify irregularities. »
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