E-invoicing refers to digitally generated invoices between suppliers and customers. This is more involved than, say, generating a PDF from a manually typed document, and would usually be initiated via the accounting/bookkeeping software. The government is looking at the possibility of standardising e-invoicing, and has launched a consultation that will run until 7 May 2025. The stated aim of the consultation is to gather views - there are no planned short-term changes - and will cover the following areas:

• different models of e-invoicing
• whether to take a mandated or voluntary approach to e-invoicing
• what scope of mandate might be most appropriate in the UK and for businesses
• whether e-invoicing should be complemented by real time digital reporting.

Standardisation would mean the requirements for e-invoicing would need to be harmonised by common requirements. Currently, it may be possible to use e-invoicing for some suppliers/customers but not others due to differences between systems used. To submit your views, use the link above.