The invoicing process is a very important aspect of proper accounting and avoiding errors. One of the concepts that you must take into account is the simplified invoice, which is not the same as a full invoice or a ticket. Ideally, your business should have a tool that allows you to issue this type of invoice according to your needs.
In this post we will tell you what a simplified invoice is, all the aspects you need to take into account to create this type of invoice and the best POS software solution for you to create them.
What is a simplified invoice?
It is a type of invoice that does not have all the data of a full invoice. It is used in different situations where it is not necessary to have detailed information to carry out commercial transactions.
These documents have basic information about the sale of products and services and may contain data such as the amount, the concept or the supplier's data and the date. However, there are some data that are not always indicated in this type of invoices, such as the tax rate broken down in the operation, or the address of the recipient. The purpose of this type of invoices is to facilitate the administrative work in the operations that do not have much value. It is very common that in hotel establishments this type of invoices is used, since the data of the clients who realize a purchase are not collected, but a simplified invoice is emitted.
What is the difference between an invoice and a simplified invoice?
You may not be clear about what a simplified invoice is, since it may be similar to a normal invoice. However, it has very important differences. According to the Tax Agency
Tributaria, a simplified invoice must include number and series, date, NIF, sender's name or company name, tax rate, total consideration and whether it is a reverse charge invoice or an exempt transaction, or other similar situations.
These types of invoices are designed for businesses in which issuing complete invoices would involve excessive bureaucratic work and would be detrimental to their activity, as is the case of a restaurant or any other hospitality business. In these cases it is usual to charge customers with a mobile POS, but simplified invoices are issued to make the process easier. Although a simplified invoice includes VAT, it can include the "VAT included" data, it does not necessarily have to be itemized.
On the other hand, the complete invoice must have a correlative number and series, date of issue, name of the issuer and recipient, tax identification number of both the issuer of the invoice and the recipient, whether it is a domestic transaction or in special cases, such as an intra-Community delivery of goods that is exempt, reverse charge transactions and transactions that have been carried out in the territory of application of the tax (TAI).
In addition, complete invoices must show the address of both the recipient and the issuer. The operations must be described and the essential data must be included so that the taxable base, amount, discounts, tax rate and taxes broken down can be determined.
The date on which the documented operations were carried out must also appear, as well as the date of the advance payment, in the case of an invoice with a date different from the time it was issued.
What is the maximum amount of a simplified invoice?
The maximum amount of a simplified invoice must comply with certain limits, since the issuance of this type of invoice is only justified when for administrative reasons it is not appropriate to issue a complete invoice.
The maximum amount of simplified invoices is 400 €, including VAT, or in case a rectifying invoice has to be issued. A simplified invoice can also be issued for transactions up to 3,000 euros, including VAT, in certain cases:
The requirements of a simplified invoice must always be taken into account, otherwise it would not be valid.
Elements of the simplified invoice
We have seen that one of the businesses that most often use simplified invoices are precisely those in the hotel and catering business. This is because, logically, when working with end customers, they cannot generate invoices with the recipient's data, which would entail too much bureaucratic work.
With a POS system you can generate legal simplified invoices that allow you to facilitate all the administrative work and provide your customers with documentary proof of the purchase they have made.
Invoicing solutions for SMEs and freelancers
If you are not sure how to create a simplified invoice, the ideal solution is to use a POS software tool that allows you to issue them. Not all invoicing programs are designed to be able to issue simplified invoices, so it would help you a lot to have a POS solution for restaurants, which integrates with your inventory, online store and delivery applications. You could also use a mobile dataphone to easily charge your customers anywhere in your establishment.
We invite you to discover the Tilby software solution, Zucchetti's POS solution for SMEs and self-employed hospitality businesses that are looking for a cloud-based POS software.
In this post we will tell you what a simplified invoice is, all the aspects you need to take into account to create this type of invoice and the best POS software solution for you to create them.
What is a simplified invoice?
It is a type of invoice that does not have all the data of a full invoice. It is used in different situations where it is not necessary to have detailed information to carry out commercial transactions.
These documents have basic information about the sale of products and services and may contain data such as the amount, the concept or the supplier's data and the date. However, there are some data that are not always indicated in this type of invoices, such as the tax rate broken down in the operation, or the address of the recipient. The purpose of this type of invoices is to facilitate the administrative work in the operations that do not have much value. It is very common that in hotel establishments this type of invoices is used, since the data of the clients who realize a purchase are not collected, but a simplified invoice is emitted.
What is the difference between an invoice and a simplified invoice?
You may not be clear about what a simplified invoice is, since it may be similar to a normal invoice. However, it has very important differences. According to the Tax Agency
Tributaria, a simplified invoice must include number and series, date, NIF, sender's name or company name, tax rate, total consideration and whether it is a reverse charge invoice or an exempt transaction, or other similar situations.
These types of invoices are designed for businesses in which issuing complete invoices would involve excessive bureaucratic work and would be detrimental to their activity, as is the case of a restaurant or any other hospitality business. In these cases it is usual to charge customers with a mobile POS, but simplified invoices are issued to make the process easier. Although a simplified invoice includes VAT, it can include the "VAT included" data, it does not necessarily have to be itemized.
On the other hand, the complete invoice must have a correlative number and series, date of issue, name of the issuer and recipient, tax identification number of both the issuer of the invoice and the recipient, whether it is a domestic transaction or in special cases, such as an intra-Community delivery of goods that is exempt, reverse charge transactions and transactions that have been carried out in the territory of application of the tax (TAI).
In addition, complete invoices must show the address of both the recipient and the issuer. The operations must be described and the essential data must be included so that the taxable base, amount, discounts, tax rate and taxes broken down can be determined.
The date on which the documented operations were carried out must also appear, as well as the date of the advance payment, in the case of an invoice with a date different from the time it was issued.
What is the maximum amount of a simplified invoice?
The maximum amount of a simplified invoice must comply with certain limits, since the issuance of this type of invoice is only justified when for administrative reasons it is not appropriate to issue a complete invoice.
The maximum amount of simplified invoices is 400 €, including VAT, or in case a rectifying invoice has to be issued. A simplified invoice can also be issued for transactions up to 3,000 euros, including VAT, in certain cases:
- In the case of retail sales transactions.
- Sales to the consumer's home or ambulance services.
- Transport of people and luggage
- Hotel and restaurant services. Discotheques and dance halls
- Telephone booth services for public use, or with cards that do not allow the bearer to identify himself/herself.
- Hairdressing salons, dry cleaners, beauty salons and laundries
- Use of sports facilities, toll roads and parking lots.
- Photo developing and services of photo studios or film rentals
The requirements of a simplified invoice must always be taken into account, otherwise it would not be valid.
Elements of the simplified invoice
- Invoice number and series
- Date on which it was issued and date of the transaction if different from this one.
- Identification number of the issuer
- Identification of the products or services performed
- Tax rate. Optionally it is allowed to use the expression "VAT included".
- Consideration
- If the special regime of the low criterion is applied, it must be mentioned in the invoice with the expression "special regime of the cash criterion".
- If it is a rectified invoice, the reference of the rectified invoice and of what has been changed.
We have seen that one of the businesses that most often use simplified invoices are precisely those in the hotel and catering business. This is because, logically, when working with end customers, they cannot generate invoices with the recipient's data, which would entail too much bureaucratic work.
With a POS system you can generate legal simplified invoices that allow you to facilitate all the administrative work and provide your customers with documentary proof of the purchase they have made.
Invoicing solutions for SMEs and freelancers
If you are not sure how to create a simplified invoice, the ideal solution is to use a POS software tool that allows you to issue them. Not all invoicing programs are designed to be able to issue simplified invoices, so it would help you a lot to have a POS solution for restaurants, which integrates with your inventory, online store and delivery applications. You could also use a mobile dataphone to easily charge your customers anywhere in your establishment.
We invite you to discover the Tilby software solution, Zucchetti's POS solution for SMEs and self-employed hospitality businesses that are looking for a cloud-based POS software.