As part of a drive to modernise financial processes, the Ministry of Public Finance has introduced the national electronic invoicing system RO e-Invoice. This initiative, which became mandatory for public procurement from 1 July 2022, has had a significant impact on the business environment. It also applies to invoices between all economic operators from 1 January 2024.
The system will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, from 1 January to 31 March 2024, the use of e-Invoice will be mandatory for B2B relations, but during this period, non-compliant operators will not be penalised, allowing them to adapt.
The deadline for sending invoices in the new system is 5 days, operators who do not comply with this deadline, depending on the size of their business, will be penalised, except for the period mentioned above.
In the case of small businesses, the amount of the fine varies between 1,000 and 2,500 lei, in the case of medium-sized businesses this amount is between 2,500 and 5,000 lei, and large businesses will pay between 5,000 and 10,000 lei.
In the second phase, which will be valid until 1 July 2024, accountants recording invoices from external sources (invoices originating outside the e-Invoice RO system) will not be subject to a financial penalty.
In the case of an invoice from outside the system recorded in the accounts, entrepreneurs will be penalised by 15% of the invoice value, except for the period mentioned above.
There are a number of exceptions to the national e-invoicing system, such as transactions with foreign partners, simplified invoices with a value of less than €100 (tax-coded vouchers).
In the B2C context, there is only one case where invoices have to be reported in the national system, namely when they include accommodation services settled with holiday vouchers.
The National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF) has published an information guide on e-invoicing to help users understand this new system. The guide provides important information on the use and operation of the system, with the aim of helping businesses adapt to these changes.
The guide is available at the link below:
https://static.anaf.ro/static/10/Anaf/AsistentaContribuabili_r/Ghid_RO_eFactura.pdf