Unlike in Europe, in Latin America, e-invoicing has served to provide state monitoring of the financial flows of companies for a long time. The requirements involved vary significantly between the countries, and they also change frequently.
Electronic invoicing was introduced in Argentina in 2007 and has been mandatory for all companies since 2015. The fiscal authority responsible for electronic invoicing in Argentina is AFIP (Administracion Federal de Ingresos Publicos). The e-invoicing system is based on an XML file that contains certain tax information and an electronic signature that is used to verify the authenticity of the document. To use the system, the invoice-issuing company requires suitable electronic authorisation codes (CAE). Without these CAE the goods may not be shipped and any invoice is not legally valid. E-invoicing is particularly relevant for Type E export invoices and for the national types A and B.
Irrespective of the invoice type, however, businesses in Argentina must be in possession of a valid digital certificate (CFD, Certificado Fiscal Digital) and be registered with AFIP. This registration can be provided by means of a fiscal key(clave fiscal) or a password from the AFIP website and lasts for up to 30 days. All official documents (invoices) carry a serial number. If a problem occurs with an invoice, it is necessary for this to be resolved before the next invoice can be generated or verified.
Generating the XML file
The seller generates an XML file containing the tax information relevant for the electronic invoice. The file requires a digital signature and electronic authorisation codes (CAE) in order to confirm the authenticity of the data and the identity of the seller.
Invoice authorisation
Various communication systems (web service, RECE, online invoices service (Comprobantes en línea)) can be used to generate the electronic invoice and obtain authorisation from AFIP in real time.
In most Latin American countries, invoices must be sent directly or via certified providers to the relevant fiscal authority. As volumes increase, the risk of violations when legislative changes are made grows greater. We implement suitable technical solutions for SAP users.
The ortevo Connector is our low-cost, flexible solution for your business-to-government (B2G) e-invoicing needs. Based on the SAP eDocument Framework, it links the systems of specialised e-invoicing providers to your SAP system.
Your SAP application can be consolidated for e-invoicing in two ways: by using the SAP solutions or by integrating a specialised provider. Both methods can implement the requirements of the individual countries on the four major points.
Normally, Latin American fiscal authorities prescribe an XML format for invoices. The exact specifications are particular to each country, however.
In Latin America, invoices can only be sent to customers with the signature of the relevant authorities. Different methods of doing this are used in each country.
Tracking of invoices by the fiscal authorities is normally made possible by the use of individual codes. These codes must be integrated into the invoice.
Although e-invoicing is widely used in Latin America, in some countries the printed invoice must also meet exact government specifications.
We show you the advantages and disadvantages of the various possibilities and help you both to select and to implement the solution that is best for you. We can also present our ortevo Connector live.
