Automation CZEN

Automation · Finance and documents

When are e-invoices mandatory? What applies in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the EU

In the Czech Republic, electronic invoicing between businesses is not mandatory yet; in Slovakia it is for Slovak VAT payers, from January 1, 2027. We set up issued invoices in ISDOC format or for the Peppol network, and send incoming e-invoices straight into the accounting software you already have.

Free audit · 30 minutes What do you run on?

Part of Accounting and invoicing

Does this sound familiar?

There are a lot of dates and acronyms going around about electronic invoicing. Not all of them apply to you.

  • “Our Slovak customer wants e-invoices via Peppol from January. What do we do?”

  • “We still do not know whether we have to do e-invoices or not. Everyone gives a different date.”

  • “ISDOC, Peppol, EN 16931… Which of these do we actually need?”

  • “The authority wants an invoice under the European standard and all we can do is PDF.”

  • “Our supplier sends an invoice with ISDOC and we still retype it from the PDF.”

What we prepare for electronic invoicing

Six tasks. You do not have to take all of them. Often the first step and a feature you already have in your software are enough.

01

Assessing whether you need e-invoices

We go through your customers and suppliers: Slovak companies, public contracting authorities, foreign partners. How many invoices you send them and from which software. That tells you whether a feature in your software is enough or an integration pays off.

02

ISDOC for issued invoices

ISDOC is the Czech XML e-invoice format. The customer loads it into their software and retypes nothing. POHODA embeds it directly into the PDF invoice, ABRA Flexi exports it. Where your software cannot do it, we create ISDOC from your invoice export.

03

Peppol through an access point

Peppol is an international network for delivering e-invoices, and Czech companies can already use it today through certified providers. We convert the invoice from your accounting software into the Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 format and send it through the provider’s access point. Before sending we check mandatory data, for example the customer’s tax ID (DIČ) in the Slovak network.

04

E-invoices for public contracting authorities

Authorities and other public contracting authorities must accept e-invoices under the European standard EN 16931. Central government bodies also accept ISDOC from version 5.2. We prepare the invoice in a format the contracting authority accepts.

05

Receiving e-invoices without data capture

An incoming e-invoice is a data file. It is read by machine, without AI and without retyping: POHODA imports ISDOC, Money S3 Inbox accepts ISDOC and ZUGFeRD, ABRA Flexi imports ISDOC. We convert invoices from Peppol into your software’s import. Then the invoice goes the same way to approval as all the others.

06

Archiving electronic invoices

Under the Czech VAT Act, tax documents are kept for 10 years from the end of the tax period in which the supply took place. Throughout that time, authenticity of origin, integrity of content and legibility must be ensured. That is why we store both the XML and the PDF with the document in your accounting software.

Commonly used software

What do you run on?

What is possible with ISDOC and Peppol in each program.

  • POHODA

    Saves an issued invoice with the ISDOC attachment directly in the PDF and sends it by e-mail or via data box (datová schránka). Imports an incoming invoice with ISDOC and verifies the electronic signature in the PDF.

  • Money S3

    Money S3 Inbox accepts ISDOC and ZUGFeRD/Factur-X e-invoices, plus QR codes, PDFs and images.

  • ABRA Flexi

    ISDOC import and export, invoices via REST API.

  • Fakturoid

    Is preparing sending e-invoices via Peppol. It will deliver them through a certified delivery service provider.

  • Peppol in Slovakia

    A Slovak company chooses from the list of certified providers published by the Slovak Financial Administration. According to it, small companies with a few dozen invoices only need an account in the provider’s app.

  • Public contracting authorities

    Must accept e-invoices under the EN 16931 standard, in UBL 2.1 or UN/CEFACT CII syntax. Central government bodies also accept ISDOC from version 5.2.

Do you invoice from software that is not listed here? In the audit we find out what it can do and tell you whether the vendor’s feature is enough.

When you do not need us

We do not sell accounting software and we are not tax advisors. When a feature you already have is enough, we say so.

You invoice only in the Czech Republic and nobody asks you for e-invoices
There is no general obligation between businesses in the Czech Republic yet. A PDF invoice sent by e-mail remains a tax document if the customer agrees to it. You do not have to change anything.
You send a few invoices a month to Slovakia
If you invoice from the Czech Republic, you do not have the obligation from January 1, 2027. If the customer asks for an e-invoice and your invoicing software supports Peppol, just turn it on. According to the Slovak Financial Administration, small companies only need an account in the provider’s app.
Your software already supports ISDOC
POHODA embeds ISDOC into the PDF invoice and reads incoming ISDOC. ABRA Flexi imports and exports it, Money S3 Inbox accepts it. First we turn on what you already pay for.
You need an assessment of a permanent establishment or VAT registration
That is work for a tax advisor, for Slovakia one who knows Slovak VAT. We build the technical flow based on their conclusion.

How it works

  1. 01

    Free audit

    30 minutes. Who you invoice, who wants e-invoices from you and from which software.

    Output: Recommended next step

  2. 02

    What your software can do

    We check ISDOC and Peppol in your version. If the software supports it, we show you what to turn on.

    Output: Proposed tasks and price

  3. 03

    Test invoice

    One issued and one incoming e-invoice as a test, for Peppol through the provider’s access point.

    Output: Verified format

  4. 04

    Live operation

    E-invoices for customers who want them, and incoming e-invoices straight into your accounting software.

    Output: E-invoices in operation

Frequently asked questions

Are e-invoices mandatory in the Czech Republic, and from when?
Not between businesses in the Czech Republic yet, and no date has been announced; for now only public contracting authorities must accept e-invoices under the European standard. What applies in Slovakia and the EU is covered in our article on e-invoices in Slovakia from 2027.
Is a PDF invoice sent by e-mail an electronic invoice?
Under the Czech VAT Act yes, if the customer agrees to it. But accounting software cannot read its data without data capture; only a structured XML e-invoice (ISDOC or Peppol) allows that, and in Slovakia a PDF is not an e-invoice.
What is ISDOC and how does it differ from Peppol?
ISDOC is the Czech XML e-invoice format, which POHODA, for example, embeds directly into the PDF. Peppol is an international network that delivers e-invoices through providers’ access points, and you cannot use ISDOC for Slovakia.
We invoice to Slovakia. Do the e-invoices from January 1, 2027 apply to us?
If you invoice from the Czech Republic and are not established in Slovakia, no; the obligation applies to Slovak VAT payers for domestic supplies. Borderline cases are covered in our article on e-invoices in Slovakia, and a tax advisor will assess them.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
It depends on the systems and scope. We do not publish a price list, because no two companies are the same. You get the price and timeline after the audit, up front and in writing.

Part of: Accounting and invoicing

Overview

Accounting and invoicing

Invoice data capture and approval, payment matching, reminders and e-invoices on top of your accounting software.

Full overviewModule

Invoice data capture

Incoming invoices from e-mail, Drive or scans captured, checked and entered into your accounting software.

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Related

Accounting and invoicing

Data capture, approval, payment matching and reminders on top of your accounting software.

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E-invoices in Slovakia from 2027

When the obligation applies to a Czech company, what comes in 2030 and how to prepare.

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Invoice data capture

PDF and scanned invoices straight into your accounting software.

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POHODA integration

Invoices, bank and warehouse in the POHODA accounting system.

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Enquiry — E-invoices, ISDOC and Peppol

Tell us what you are dealing with. We start with a free 30-minute audit.

What are you interested in?