Equal Treatment will make it easier

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE amending Directive 2006/112/EC on the
common system of value added tax as regards the rules on invoicing

Snippets – emphasis mine:

“(8) Since the use of electronic invoicing can help businesses to reduce costs and be more competitive, current VAT requirements on electronic invoicing should be revised to remove existing burdens and barriers to uptake. Paper invoices and electronic invoices
should be treated equally and the administrative burden on paper invoicing should not increase.

(9) Equal treatment should also apply as regards the competences of tax authorities. Their control competences and the rights and obligations of taxable persons should apply equally whether a taxable person chooses to issue paper invoices or electronic invoices.

(10) Invoices must reflect actual supplies and their authenticity, integrity and legibility should therefore be ensured. Business controls can be used to establish reliable audit trails linking invoices and supplies, thereby ensuring that any invoice (whether on paper or in electronic form) complies with those requirements.”

The essential aspect is that proper business controls are always needed and always sufficient. No technology can bring the integrity and authenticity on its own. It is entirely up to the enterprise to use additional tools – whatever the form of invoice is. Technology neutrality will also here make the best ones win when making the so-important invoicing processes more cost-efficient and easy to use.