In October 2024, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Ministry of Finance announced the roll out of mandatory e-invoicing in the country. It launched the UAE e-invoicing portal, that covers information about the new e-invoicing requirements for businesses. The Ministry of Finance defined e-invoices as “a structured form of an invoice data that is issued and exchanged electronically between a supplier and a buyer and reported electronically to the UAE Federal Tax Authority.”
e-invoicing in the UAE will be implemented in phases, and the first phase is expected to be rolled out by July 2026. UAE’s e-invoicing regime will follow the Decentralized Continuous Transaction Control and Exchange (DCTCE) using Peppol framework. This is a 5-corner model and will involve the seller, the buyer, the central tax authority, and both the buyer and seller’s certified Peppol Access Point service providers.
The seller will send the invoice data to their certified Peppol Access Point service provider, who will change the document to the required electronic invoice format. The service provider will then send this to the buyer’s service provider, who will send it to the buyer. The seller’s provider will also communicate the tax data in the e-invoice to the tax authority on the central government platform, which will send a notification of receipt. (See the diagram below.)
Reduce manual efforts in tax reporting processes to accelerate UAE’s digital transformation journey and the development of a robust digital economy
Reduce costs, optimize core operations, and reduce processing time and paper wastage
Identify and reduce VAT income loss
Reduce the risk of fraud and security breaches with encryption and secure data exchange protocols
Help drive economic growth
Leverage relevant big data in real time to help shape government policy in the UAE
Scope of e-Invoicing
The initial scope of the e-invoicing mandate in UAE applies to B2B and B2G transactions
B2C transactions may be considered in the future
What Does it Mean for Organizations
Organizations in the UAE must transform their existing processes to align with the region’s e-invoicing rules. This represents a significant shift for many, as they must maintain business continuity while ensuring a seamless customer experience. They require a robust digitized invoicing system (a technology platform) that can handle e-invoicing processing end to end, in accordance with UAE’s rules.
SunTec e-Invoicing: Empowering UAE Businesses
SunTec is an accredited Peppol Access Point service provider, and we can help organizations in the UAE make a smooth transition to the new e-invoicing mandate. SunTec e-Invoicing can integrate with an organization’s existing accounting system or with our VAT engine without disturbing the existing IT landscape. Our product offers end-to-end e-invoicing compliance with the DCTCE model.
Given our extensive experience of having deployed our VAT and e-invoicing products at over 35 banks in the Middle East, we can help our customers prepare seamlessly for the e-invoice mandate and comply with evolving regulations in the region.
The SunTec e-Invoicing Advantage
Seamless Integration with Taxpayer Systems
Standard interfaces ensure system agnosticism
Multi-channel interfacing options: Feed, Database Staging (Push and Pull), and Online Processing via API
Comprehensive Compliance
Complete compliance solution with e-invoicing and Peppol Access Point capabilities
Data-level validations are handled upfront during transaction processing to prevent validation failures at Access Point systems
Pre-packaged standard code libraries ensure accuracy and compliance
Multi-currency support for e-invoice and e-note generation
Configurable rules to meet evolving requirements
Automation for Efficiency
Automated transaction receipt, processing, e-invoicing generation, and integration with Peppol Access Point Service Providers
Automated logging, monitoring, and reprocessing of e-invoicing technical errors
Automatic email alerts with execution details sent to a pre-configured set of users
Complete Digital Invoice Management
Configurable business entity-specific templates for PDF generation
Customizable password encryption for PDF invoices and credit notes
Automatic emailing of PDF invoices and credit notes to customers
APIs for customer access to download PDF invoices and credit notes via online channels
Regeneration of invoice and credit note PDFs as needed
MIS Reports and Data Extracts
Standard MIS reports for e-invoice and e-note generation, failures, and customer exchanges
E-invoicing refers to the electronic generation, exchange, and storage of invoices in a structured digital format, facilitating automated tax reporting to the UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA). Find out more: SunTec e-Invoicing
2. When does e-Invoicing become mandatory in the UAE?
The UAE plans to implement mandatory e-invoicing starting from July 2026, with a phased rollout based on business size and sector.
3. Which businesses are required to comply?
All VAT-registered businesses in the UAE must adopt VAT e-invoice systems for their B2B and B2G transactions by July 2026.
4. What is the Peppol 5-corner model?
The UAE’s e-invoicing framework utilizes the Peppol 5-corner model, involving the supplier, buyer, their respective Access Point service providers, and the central tax authority. This model ensures standardized and secure invoice exchange.
5. What formats are acceptable for e-Invoices?
Only structured electronic formats like XML or JSON are acceptable. Formats like PDFs, scanned copies, or Word documents are not considered valid e-invoices.
6. How can SunTec’s e-Invoicing solution help?
SunTec offers a comprehensive fintech e-invoicing solution that ensures compliance with UAE regulations. It provides capabilities for data validation, electronic generation, format conversion, verification, transmission, exchange, and invoice archiving.
7. What are the benefits of adopting e-Invoicing?
Benefits include streamlined tax compliance, reduced manual errors, faster invoice processing, improved cash flow management, and enhanced transparency in financial transactions.
8. Where can I find more information or request a demo?
For more details or to request a demo of SunTec’s e-invoicing solution, please visit SunTec’s e-Invoicing UAE.
