E-invoice specification

The following specifications, created in the IoB project, describe how to use the Estonian e-invoice according to the European e-invoicing standard. 

Proposals for improvements, descriptions of errors found and questions please send to IoB project manager Sirli Heinsoo at sirli.heinsoo@itl.ee.

About the standard: New e-invoice standard enables to step across the national border

“Estonia as a digital country has made a significant step towards simplifying the cross-border e-invoice sending and receiving process,” said Tieto Estonia AS business development manager Kaido Heinsalu. “The European e-invoice standard adapted as part of the real-time economy project enables companies to transfer e-invoices more easily and cost-effectively than the e-invoice process on paper or in PDF format has ever been capable of.” E-invoice operators Omniva, Telema and Tieto Estonia, all part of the project, are already prepared to exchange e-invoices in accordance to the new standard. 
 
“Estonia has used its national e-invoice format for nearly 15 years, but we have reached a point where more and more cross-border transactions are being made that no longer are applicable to domestic formats,” explained Heinsalu. “It is no longer realistic for the companies operating in the European Union market to be deploying different national standards at the same time.” Single European e-invoice standard creates a clear regulation that enables e-invoice operating systems of the sender and receiver to exchange information without any distraction. According to Heinsalu, this is also the reason why the adaption of the single EU e-invoice format has such a significant importance.
 
Real-time economy (Internet of Business) project also focused on the adaption process among Estonian companies to be as smooth as possible. All the facilities using Omniva, Telema or Tieto services have already solved the problem as they have adapted the Estonian e-invoice according to the EU standards. “Companies, who are currently planning to adapt e-invoice system or are in the process of choosing the operator, should beforehand definitely pay close attention to the EU standard and its capabilities,” added Heinsalu.
 
The project also develops a connection with the Pan-European eProcurement network PEPPOL that simplifies the communication between e-invoice operators and creates more opportunities for companies to exchange e-invoices with their business partners cross-border. 
 
“This will create additional traffic on Estonian Information System X-tee, helping to increase the usage of e-invoices in the public sector and also simplifying the roaming between e-invoice operators,” explained Heinsalu. Thanks to the usage of X-tee, there is no need for the operators to create and manage expensive direct connections with one another. 

Developing a single EU e-invoice standard enables to cross national borders and meet the EU e-invoice directive no 2014/55/EL. “Estonian companies have a lot more influential arguments for e-invoice adaption, all thanks to the opportunities derived from these successful collaboration projects,” added Heinsalu.
 
Internet of Business project is co-financed by The Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) as part of the CEF Telecom eInvoicing 2016 program. Internet of Business project is coordinated by Estonian ICT Cluster. The project works on developing a secure and convenient environment for automated business transactions occurring in real-time economy.