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TicketBAI: Modernising Electronic Invoicing in the Basque Country

Introduction: What is TicketBAI?

TicketBAI represents a crucial project promoted by the Basque Government with the purpose of modernizing electronic invoicing and strengthening tax compliance in the Basque Country. It arises as a response to the need to improve the control of economic operations and combat  tax fraud. This project stands as a key initiative to address these challenges and promote more efficient fiscal management in the region.

E-invoicing has revolutionized the way businesses conduct business transactions and manage their tax documents. Instead of relying on traditional paper invoices, businesses can now issue and receive electronic invoices, providing a number of tangible benefits, such as reduced costs, increased management efficiency, and significantly improved traceability of business operations. In this sense, TicketBAI is positioned as a key project to promote this transformation in the field of electronic invoicing in the Basque Country.

Regulations

The TicketBAI regulations, implemented since January 1, 2022, establish that all companies and self-employed workers in the Basque Autonomous Community must issue a ticket or invoice for each commercial operation they carry out. These documents must be digitally signed and have a unique code for identification. This regulation is applicable both to transactions that require an invoice and to those exempt from this obligation. The main objective of this regulation is to improve tax management, prevent fraud and facilitate compliance with tax obligations.

To comply with this regulation, companies must carry out actions such as certifying the device from which the invoice or ticket is issued, working with management and invoicing software that contains the signature of the company that has developed it, and ensuring that each taxpayer is taxed according to their real income, pursuing a fair tax system. In addition, this system provides protection to consumers, who will receive a receipt justifying each purchase they make and facilitates compliance with tax obligations.

The TicketBAI software allows the telematic control of any changes that businesses make to their invoices, which contributes to increasing the control of all invoices issued by freelancers and companies. In addition, invoices must include an identification code called TBAI and a QR code that will collect all the relevant information. The Basque Government is a pioneer at the national level in implementing a system of this type.

In summary, TicketBAI’s regulations establish the obligation to issue digitally signed tickets or invoices with a unique code for identification, in order to improve tax management, prevent fraud and facilitate compliance with tax obligations.

Objectives of TicketBAI

TicketBAI has a series of clearly defined objectives ranging from the control of economic operations to the simplification of administrative processes. These objectives focus on improving tax management and preventing fraud in the Basque Country. Below are the main objectives of TicketBAI:

  1. Control of economic activities: TicketBAI seeks to establish an effective system to control the activities and economic income of the self-employed, SMEs and large companies in the Basque Country. The purpose of this control is to ensure transparent and effective tax management, providing the Provincial Treasuries with a clear and complete view of the commercial transactions carried out in the region.
  2. Tax Fraud Prevention: One of TicketBAI’s fundamental goals is to combat tax fraud and tax avoidance. Through the implementation of this system, it seeks to ensure that all income generated by economic activities is duly registered and declared, thus avoiding tax evasion and promoting equity in the tax system.
  3. Control of cash payments and issuance of invoices: TicketBAI aims to supervise cash payments and ensure the issuance of legal invoices for these transactions. This contributes to greater transparency in business operations, reducing the possibility of tax evasion and making it easier to trace transactions made in cash.
  4. Simplification of relations with Public Administrations: The project seeks to digitise and simplify relations between companies and Public Administrations in the Basque Country. Through TicketBAI, the aim is to improve the management, issuance and sending of invoices, thus facilitating compliance with tax obligations and reducing the administrative burden for both companies and tax authorities.

Implementation process

The process to successfully implement TicketBAI involves several key steps that need to be followed to ensure a successful transition to e-invoicing in the Basque Country. The following are the steps relevant to implementation:

  1. Define the objectives: It is essential to clearly define the objectives that are expected to be achieved with the implementation of TicketBAI. This includes determining the expected benefits and fiscal management improvements that the project seeks to achieve.
  2. Data migration: In the case of TicketBAI, data migration is a critical step. The quality of the data to be migrated and the different encodings of the previous system require an effort to correctly identify the origin of each data, clean it up and insert it into the new electronic invoicing system.
  3. Staff training: All employees who are going to use TicketBAI must receive specific training. Training staff is crucial to ensure they are comfortable with the system and increase their experience and knowledge in using e-invoicing.
  4. Start-up: During this stage, the implementation and commissioning of TicketBAI is carried out, as well as support to users. This is the last step to complete the implementation of the e-invoicing system.
  5. Project control and monitoring: Once implemented, it is important to establish a project control and monitoring system to ensure that the system is being used correctly and that the established objectives are being met.

These steps are critical to a successful implementation of TicketBAI. It is important to note that the implementation of e-invoicing systems requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses everything from the definition of objectives to the training of staff and the continuous monitoring of the project.

Types of organizations required to use TicketBAI

TicketBAI is a mandatory tool for a wide variety of entities in the Basque Country, including:

  1. Self-employed: Self-employed workers who carry out economic activities in the Basque Country are required to use TicketBAI to register their business transactions.
  2. Companies of all sizes: Both small and medium-sized companies and large corporations operating in the Basque Country must adhere to TicketBAI to document their sales and purchases electronically.
  3. Organizations that issue invoices: Any entity that issues invoices for its services or products, whether it is a company, cooperative, association, or other similar organization, must use TicketBAI to record these transactions.
  4. Businesses that carry out commercial operations in Guipúzcoa: The obligation to use TicketBAI applies to those businesses that make sales within the province of Guipúzcoa, one of the provinces of the Basque Country.

Exceptions and technical details on TicketBAI

While most organizations are required to use TicketBAI, there are some exceptions and important technical details to keep in mind:

  1. Subjective exemptions: Some individuals and legal entities may be exempt from using TicketBAI if they meet certain subjective criteria established by tax regulations. These exemptions may be related to the type of economic activity, the volume of income, or the specific nature of the business.
  2. Provincial corporate income tax regulations: According to the provincial corporate income tax regulations  in the Basque Country, some entities may be exempt from using TicketBAI in certain specific cases. It is important to check current tax laws to determine if exemptions apply in a particular case.
  3. Batuz system in Bizkaia: In the territory of Bizkaia, the Provincial Treasury of Bizkaia has implemented a similar system called Batuz. Companies operating in Bizkaia must adhere to this system instead of TicketBAI, and the specific features of Batuz may differ slightly from those of TicketBAI.

Benefits of TicketBAI

TicketBAI offers a number of significant benefits for the organizations that implement it, as well as for the Basque Country’s Provincial Treasuries. These benefits include:

  1. Customized tax incentives: TicketBAI offers businesses tax incentives tailored to their needs. For example, in Gipuzkoa, those who implement TicketBAI before certain dates can benefit from significant reductions in personal income tax, up to a maximum of 60% on expenses related to TicketBAI. These tax incentives are designed to encourage early and effective adoption of the system.
  2. Specific tax deductions: In addition to tax incentives, TicketBAI offers tax deduction opportunities. The aid associated with TicketBAI can lead to deductions of up to 60% in Personal Income Tax and Corporate Tax payments. These deductions are subject to the investment made and the policies established by the corresponding Provincial Treasury, providing additional financial relief for companies that implement the system.
  3. End-to-end process automation: One of the most prominent advantages of TicketBAI is its ability to fully automate billing processes. This involves the digitization of business transactions, eliminating the need to accumulate receipts and invoices until quarterly closings. Automation significantly reduces administrative burden, improves operational efficiency, and facilitates timely and accurate compliance with tax obligations.
  4. Detailed and transparent control of business information: By adopting TicketBAI, organizations gain more detailed and transparent control over their business information. The digitization of business activities allows for accurate tracking of transactions, making it easier to identify buying patterns, financial trends, and areas for improvement. This provides companies with a solid foundation for strategic decision-making, improving their ability to adapt to market demands and optimize their financial performance.

Together, these benefits of TicketBAI not only promote greater transparency and efficiency in business management, but also contribute to strengthening tax compliance and preventing fraud in the Basque Country. The implementation of TicketBAI represents a strategic investment for organizations, offering both long-term financial and operational advantages.

Conclusion

TicketBAI is an ambitious and necessary project that seeks to modernise e-invoicing and strengthen tax compliance in the Basque Country. Through the issuance of digitally signed electronic receipts or invoices, the aim is to improve the control of economic operations and combat tax fraud. It is important that all companies and freelancers in the Basque Country adapt to these new regulations and comply with their obligations.

Snab: Optimizing financial management

TicketBAI offers a comprehensive solution for tax management and e-invoicing in the Basque Country, providing benefits such as tax incentives, process automation and detailed control of business information. However, to maximize the potential of these advantages and take financial management to the next level, it is crucial to have a platform that provides an efficient treasury and digital banking experience: Snab.

How can Snab help businesses?

  1. Data and treasury centralization: Snab allows companies to centralize their data, banks, and treasury on a single platform. This means having all financial information at your fingertips, making it easier to make informed and strategic decisions.
  2. Automation of invoicing processes: With Snab, companies can receive invoices and approve or reject them in an automated manner, significantly reducing the times and human errors associated with these processes.
  3. Real-time cash control: Snab offers real-time cash control, providing visibility into upcoming cash inflows and outflows. This allows for more efficient financial management and more accurate planning.
  4. Synchronization with ERP: Snab easily integrates with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, allowing for complete synchronization of financial data. This ensures greater visibility and access to real-time information, making it easier to make strategic decisions.

All in all, Snab perfectly complements the advantages offered by TicketBAI by providing a digital and efficient platform for the financial management of companies. With Snab, companies can optimize their processes, reduce work times and errors, and gain greater visibility and control over their finances in real time.

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