Digitization is a tangible reality in first world countries. In Spain, many private companies and public bodies have already automated and digitized their ordinary processes and tasks. A good example is electronic invoicing, which by law must be digital in our country for any public institution. And that is taking into account the fiscal and tax diversity that exists between the different autonomous communities. One of the most peculiar in this regard is the Basque Country. Therefore, in light of the changes that are taking place lately in the wake of digital transformation, in this article we will try to explain how to manage electronic invoicing with the Basque Government.
How does the Basque Government's electronic invoicing system work?
The Basque Government's electronic invoicing service of the Basque Government is a service that the autonomous community itself makes available to all suppliers who do business with that public institution. The reason for its existence and promotion is that since 2015, the use of electronic invoices has been mandatory in all transactions with government organizations. To learn more about this regulation, visit easyap we previously wrote and published an article on our blog about the legal aspects of this measure and the effects it could have.
The fact is that, for this very reason, the Basque Government makes available to users of its website a digital invoicing service for suppliers who deliver goods or provide services to regional public entities. Through this service, suppliers will mainly be able to, among other things:
- Submit electronic invoices for all transactions carried out, automatically adapting to the relevant tax requirements.
- Check the status of those digital invoices that have been submitted. These will appear as registered (in the system), registered in the RCF (Invoice Accounting Register), accepted, rejected, accounted for, paid, or canceled.
In turn, the Basque Government's website on electronic invoicing provides a detailed list of all public or dependent companies with which these invoices must be issued online. These organizations are:
- Basque Police and Emergency Academy
- Basque Agency for Development Cooperation
- Basque Data Protection Agency
- Basque Water Agency (public entity governed by private law)
- AUKERAK – Basque Agency for Social Reintegration
- Basque Competition Authority
- Public Schools – Department of Education
- EJIE – Basque Government IT Association
- EMAKUNDE
- Euskotren
- EUSTAT
- Basque Government
- HABE
- Haurreskolak, which is a consortium.
- Institute for Memory, Coexistence, and Human Rights
- Basque Institute of Finance
- VAT
- KONTSUMOBIDE
- METRO BILBAO, INC.
- OSALAN
- Basque Railway Network (ETS)
Throughout this extensive list, we find, in addition to the General Administration, public education centers, autonomous bodies, and public companies. Since 2015, all of them have been required to work with digital invoices. However, you should know that in order to start doing business with any of these companies, you must register and have access to the electronic invoicing service.
What do I need to start invoicing electronically?
If you are a manager or financial accountant for an SME, or if you run your own business, all the general information about the Basque Government and electronic invoicing that we have just provided will certainly be useful to you. However, at easyap, we want to go further and guide you a little more. How? Among other things, by giving you step-by-step instructions on how to use this service.
Simply register with the system. To do so , you just need to provide your electronic certificate in the system. Likewise, each time you want to access the system to issue or view invoices, you will only have to re-enter that certificate into the reader. From that moment on, you will be able to use the service's web services and send your invoices. You can also do this through the EF4KTUR program, which has been widely publicized in recent times and which we will explain later.
However, to conclude this point on what you need to start issuing invoices online as a a supplier to the Basque Government, there are different types of certificates. Below is a table showing those that are valid and recognized depending on whether you are a natural person or a legal entity:
| INDIVIDUALS | LEGAL ENTITIES |
|---|---|
| BakQ | Certificate of entity representative |
| Citizen Certificate | Certificate of public employee |
| Cloud certification for professionals |
Both the citizen certificate and the cloud-based certificate for professionals are documents that you will need to request at Izenpe, which is the Basque Country's electronic invoicing platform. There are also other types of certificates with more specific features for both profiles, which you can also use to conduct business and invoice the Basque Government online.
The role of EF4KTUR in electronic invoicing with the Basque Government
As we mentioned above, let's take a closer look at what EF4AKTUR is and why it has become so important in recent times. We are talking about software with an EU public license that allows Basque companies to manage their invoicing electronically with both the government and its agencies and with other companies. It is an initiative that promotes the digitization of the regional business fabric. However, EF4KTUR is neither the only company offering solutions to eliminate this additional cost nor the one with the most benefits.
easyap as an alternative to EF4KTUR
In 2024, new tax legislation will come into force in the Basque Country , and EF4KTUR is a useful tool for complying with this new Basque corporate tax system that is on the horizon. In favor of the digitization of companies, projects such as TicketBAI are very interesting initiatives that the authorities, in this case the Basque authorities, are promoting. However, easyap is an alternative that, as it is not designed and used by the corresponding government body, is perhaps not as widely publicized.
Both solutions offer competitive advantages over the competition, such as:
- They simplify and unify in one place the procedures and formalities that currently have to be carried out.
- They comply with all applicable tax requirements .
- They promote sustainability and respect for the environment by reducing paper use.
However, if you are a financial manager at a large Basque company or an SME registered in the Basque Country, we would like to highlight that the easyap solution offers benefits that other more widely advertised systems do not:
- Receiving and issuing electronic invoices with customers worldwide and from any sector and market, adapting to the legislation of each location.
- Our system is compatible with any accounting or ERP package you currently have integrated.
- There are no initial setup costs; instead, the price is based on each invoice processed. Therefore, it adapts to all types of companies and their billing levels.
And to those three competitive advantages that we do offer you at easyap, two details must be added. First, it takes us less than a week to implement our solution in your company. Second, we are pioneers in implementing and developing solutions like these, so our experience and success in various projects speaks for itself.
How to send digital invoices? With the easyap solution
However, one of the main doubts or questions arises when issuing invoices online, whether with public institutions or other private companies. Technology is still something new for many, and not all accountants and financial managers are familiar with it. Digitization has also reached financial area of companies, but there are still many organizations that have not adapted to it.
At easyap, we realized long ago how important technology could become in the future (and that it will continue to be so for years to come). At the same time, we are also fully aware that accounting and finance are just as important for any business now as they were 200 years ago and will be another 200 years from now. That's why, when we saw this phenomenon of digital transformation taking place, we got together and created easyap. A company formed by professionals with experience and knowledge in both the field of technology and the world of finance.
In this way, we designed an electronic invoicing solution that integrates with management and ERP systems of all types of companies. This solution has evolved and been perfected over the years. What's more, it is now implemented and working perfectly in various markets. In more than 20 years, we have been fortunate to work with companies from all over the world and from a wide range of sectors. Among them are companies from the Basque Country.
Therefore, if you have any questions about how to send an electronic invoice to the Basque Government, we recommend that you call us. Thanks to our software, you will have nothing to worry about, as you will be able to manage the entire invoice workflow in the most convenient way. Forget about tax problems when sending your invoices to any public body, as with the easyap solution you will comply with all tax requirements.
And how can you get in contact with us? We offer several channels for you to do so as soon as possible: call us or leave your details on the form on our website so we can write to you. Or, if you prefer, we can call you. In short, we are waiting for you, but the digital transformation of your company cannot wait any longer.
