B2B e-invoicing in Serbia effective January 2023

Serbia is implementing e-invoicing progressively in the country, starting with the B2G transactions this year – transactions with public bodies or government administration, to finally extend the requirement of e-invoicing to all B2B transactions by 1 January 2023.

All trader operators in Serbia will be subject to e-invoicing, including foreign companies registered with a local fiscal representative.

E-faktura is the platform launched for the purpose of the exchange of e-invoices – already working for the B2G invoices issued and received. The platform is used for sending, receiving, recording, processing and storing e-invoices.

The format required for e-invoices is XML (UBL 2.1), according to the required standard.

What is an e-invoice?

An e-invoice is an electronically delivered invoice in a specified standardized format.​ They are issued, transmitted, and received in an XML format. ​

E‐invoicing can be implemented via the clearance method and the post‐audit method.​

• The clearance model implies that the seller must receive the approval from the tax authorities in order to issue each invoice. 
• The post-audit model, the invoice is exchanged directly between the seller and the buyer, and only after the issuance, the invoice is subject to review from the tax authorities.

The e-invoicing introduced in Serbia corresponds with the clearance model.

The trend for B2B e-invoicing is spreading throughout the EU countries. Currently implemented in Italy, Portugal and Greece, other countries have already taken the necessary steps for this implementation, like Poland, Romania and France.