IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Mandatory submission of electronic invoices to the Emma Foundation
From 1 September 2022 all suppliers of the Emma Foundation will be required to submit invoices in electronic format and paper invoices will not be accepted, regardless of their amount.
In this document we inform the different suppliers of the Emma Foundation what an electronic invoice is and how they can issue it and present it to this entity.
What is an electronic bill?
It is an electronic document that contains the same information as in a traditional invoice and that is transmitted through electronic means. This document must be electronically signed with a recognized digital certificate, which guarantees its authenticity, integrity and gives it the same legal validity as a paper invoice.
What are the advantages of the electronic invoice?
Apart from all the beneficial effects that reducing the use of paper represents for the environment, the electronic invoice has, among others, the following advantages:
- Possibility to submit invoices 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Cost savings for generating, sending and storing electronic invoices, instead of using paper.
- Full guarantees in the receipt and registration of invoices by the Emma Foundation.
- Reduction in transmission time: it is practically immediate.
- Acceleration of payment terms by allowing the invoice to enter the validation circuit earlier.
- Elimination of the rejection of invoices due to errors in their content. The electronic invoice is validated when it is entered and is rejected if it contains errors.
- Real-time tracking of invoice status.
Prerequisites
In order to issue an electronic invoice, the supplier must have a valid digital certificate recognized by the Catalan Certification Agency, where the CIF/NIF of this certificate matches that of the issuer of the invoice. You can check the list of accepted certificates in this link: https://web.aoc.cat/suport/efact-empresas/
If you are a natural person, if you do not have a digital certificate, you can use your digital ID to sign the electronic invoices they issue.
Another requirement when generating an electronic invoice is that the supplier must enter the accounting reference indicated by the management service of the Emma Foundation. This reference is the guarantee to the supplier of the existence of the corresponding budget allocation for its subsequent payment. No invoice will be accepted that does not indicate the accounting reference, the invoices will be automatically rejected.
Invoice entry point
The Emma Foundation has enabled on its website the link to the body's electronic invoice delivery box. This entry point is the e.FACT portal of the AOC consortium. From this portal, a supplier will be able to submit invoices and check their processing status.
ENTRY POINT OF ELECTRONIC INVOICES:
https://efact.aoc.cat/bustia/home.htm
The electronic format for issuing electronic invoices to the Administration is FACTURAE, according to Order PRE/2971/2007. The e.FACT portal supports this format but also accepts electronic invoices in UN/EDIFACT INVOIC format transmitted through EDI networks with service connectivity.
How can an electronic invoice be generated?
Suppliers can have software for their invoice management that already generates invoices in the Facturae format, supported by the e.FACT portal. If the supplier does not have this software, they can use other free tools that generate invoices in this format:
- www.facturae.es: through the free Electronic Invoicing Management application offered by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce (www.facturae.es).
- B2B Router (recommended): cloud service that allows you to easily create electronic invoices in Facturae format, without the need for a digital certificate, for free and send it directly to the Catalan Public Administrations through the e.FACT service ( www.b2brouter. net/ca).
HOW TO DELIVER THEM TO THE EMMA FOUNDATION?
To send electronic invoices to the Emma Foundation you can use different mechanisms:
1. Through the delivery mailbox located on the EFACT portal:
Check the manuals at:
- User manual e.FACT delivery
- Mailbox user manual of the e.FACT issuer
2. Through the electronic invoicing platforms on the market if they are attached to the e.FACT service.
HOW TO CHECK THE STATUS OF YOUR INVOICE?
By accessing the eFACT delivery mailbox, entering the "Status Check" option. This functionality allows the search for previously sent invoices, in order to check their process status.
To check the status of an invoice you must provide the following fields: invoice number, fiscal year of the invoice, NIF of the issuer, NIF of the receiver and the total amount of the invoice. Once these fields have been completed and you click on the "Search" button, the query is carried out, showing the history of states through which the specified invoice has passed. In this way, if the invoice has been delivered and registered correctly at the Emma Foundation, the information corresponding to the entry of the invoice is detailed, among other data.
Note that if you do not see the "Registered" status, this indicates that the invoice has not been registered by the Emma Foundation. Likewise, if the invoice does not pass the validation of its electronic signature or the invoice is not accepted by the Emma Foundation for commercial reasons, the delivery box will indicate the status of "Rejected" and the reason for the rejection.
Likewise, it is the responsibility of the issuer of the invoices to check the status of the invoices.
