On 13 February 2026 CEN approved updates to EN 16931‑1, modernising the standard for B2B e‑invoicing and ViDA‑driven reporting across the EU. The revision adds mandatory fields such as IBAN details, early‑payment discount and late‑payment charge indicators, and clarifies syntax bindings to UBL and UN/CEFACT CII, requiring businesses to adapt validation and mapping processes for automated compliance.
CEN approved the updates on 13 February 2026.
The revision adds mandatory fields such as IBAN details, early payment discount and late‑payment charge indicators, foreign currency handling, and XML attachment support.
The standard remains syntax‑neutral but is primarily mapped to UBL and UN/CEFACT CII structures for EU networks.
Global e-Invoicing Requirements Tracker
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LinkedIn Article by Markus Hornburg · 3 days ago
The article argues that compliance with country mandates should be seen as a baseline, not the ultimate goal. It emphasizes that true invoicing success lies in data governance and ensuring invoices are accurate, fraud‑free, and defensible in accounting, rather than merely passing XML validation. The author highlights mandates in Poland, France, Belgium, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, and calls for a holistic approach to tax determination and data integrity.
Medium · 3 days ago
This article explains the technical intricacies of the Peppol discovery process, detailing how participant identifiers are hashed and resolved via DNS to Service Metadata Publishers (SMPs). It highlights key components such as the Service Metadata Locator (SML), SMP metadata signing, and the lack of fallback routing, underscoring the importance of correct configuration for reliable e‑invoicing.
Fintua · 4 days ago
The February 2026 Global VAT Guide provides a concise overview of recent VAT and e‑invoicing developments across Europe, the EU, Japan and Mexico. Key updates include Belgium’s new place‑of‑supply rules for virtual events, Croatia’s extended VAT return deadline, the Czech Republic’s InstatEvo transition, a temporary €3 customs duty on low‑value goods in the EU, and changes to Belgium’s federal tax payment BIC code.
Grant Thornton · 4 days ago
The article reviews recent EU Court of Justice rulings that clarify the VAT treatment of transfer‑pricing adjustments in intragroup transactions. It explains that payments calculated under OECD methods may be treated as VAT‑subjected remuneration for services, while unilateral profit allocations are generally outside VAT scope. The piece also highlights the pending Stellantis Portugal opinion and the need for businesses to document services and support evidence to secure VAT recoverability.
Meridian Global Services · 4 days ago
The OECD’s 2026 report outlines guidance on Digital Continuous Transactional Reporting (DCTR), urging jurisdictions to adopt real‑time VAT transaction reporting and structured e‑invoicing. It highlights the EU’s ViDA initiative, slated for rollout by 2030, and the requirement for intra‑EU invoicing interoperability by 2035. Businesses are advised to modernise ERP and billing systems, improve data quality, and strengthen security to meet the forthcoming digital compliance landscape.
LinkedIn Article by Rui Marques · 4 days ago
The article discusses the EU’s longstanding VAT exemption for financial services, noting that the exemption was introduced in 1977 and remains in place across EU member states, Iceland, and the UK. It reviews the European Parliament’s February 2026 draft report, which calls for modernising the tax framework, highlights the 91 sector‑specific taxes that have emerged, and explores options such as abolishing the exemption for B2B services or differentiating between B2B and B2C. The piece underscores the hidden costs, market distortions, and competitiveness concerns that the current exemption creates.