How to submit and process self-billing invoices via PDF recognition, including routing and software compatibility.
With self-billing, the buyer issues the invoice on behalf of the supplier. This is common for temporary staff, subcontracting and hired services. Submitting self-billing invoices via eConnect needs extra care, because routing (purchase or sales) determines how the invoice is processed.
How you submit a self-billing invoice depends on your role:
<kvk>@inkoopfacturen.econnect.eu<kvk>@verkoopfacturen.econnect.euOn the PDF invoice, include the text "Factuur uitgereikt door afnemer" (invoice issued by the buyer). This is a legal requirement for self-billing invoices.
Note: if you send a self-billing invoice to the wrong email address (purchase instead of sales, or the other way around), the conversion task is rejected.
Self-billing invoices submitted as sales invoices end up in your Outbox. Your accounting or ERP software must be able to import sales invoices from the Outbox via the integration. Not every package supports this. Check with your software vendor beforehand whether importing sales invoices is supported.
After submission, the IDR processes the self-billing invoice in the same way as a regular invoice. The supplier is identified, amounts are recognised and the invoice is converted to a validated e-invoice.
The difference is the destination: the invoice ends up in your Inbox (as a purchase invoice) or in your Outbox (as a sales invoice), depending on the email address you sent it to.
If you regularly receive self-billing invoices from the same party, you can set a trusted sender with the correct document type (purchase invoice or sales invoice). That way invoices are processed automatically through the right channel.
The conversion task is rejected. If as buyer you send the invoice to the sales invoice address (or the other way around), the system detects that the routing is wrong. Resubmit the invoice to the correct email address: purchase invoices as buyer, sales invoices as supplier.
The PDF invoice must include the text "Factuur uitgereikt door afnemer" (invoice issued by the buyer). This is a legal requirement for self-billing invoices. Otherwise the same conditions apply as for regular invoices, such as a unique invoice number, date and amounts.
Self-billing invoices submitted as sales invoices arrive in your Outbox. Not every software package supports importing sales invoices via an integration. Check with your software vendor beforehand whether this is supported.
Want to know more about submitting sales invoices? Read Submit sales invoices by email.
Submit a self-billing invoice