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Supported business processes

Sovos supports different business processes for United Arab Emirates (UAE) e-invoicing, including all 16 Phase 1 use cases, excluded transactions, and setup formats.

The UAE e-invoicing mandate uses a five-corner Pan-European Public Procurement On-Line (PEPPOL) network model. This means invoice exchange and tax reporting happen in a single, connected process across five parties: The supplier, the Sovos Accredited Service Provider (ASP), the buyer ASP, the buyer, and the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).

Supported documents and products

Products
The UAE mandate uses a single ASP to handle both sending and receiving invoices.
Product IDTypeDescription
ae_pint__1.0OutboundInvoices and credit notes sent to buyers and suppliers
ae_pint__Polling_1.0InboundInvoices and credit notes received from buyers and suppliers
Formats IDs and document types
The following format IDs are available under this product:
Format IDDocument type
AE-SCI-1.0-INVOICE-1.0Sovos Canonical Invoice (SCI) input format
AE-PINTAE-2.1-INVOICE-1.0PINT-AE invoice and credit note
AE-PINTAE-2.1-CREDITNOTE-1.0PINT-AE credit note
AE-PINTAE-2.1-SELFBILLING-1.0PINT-AE self-billing invoice and self-billing credit note

Submitting formats

SCI format
Use AE-SCI-1.0-INVOICE-1.0. Sovos transforms Sovos Canonical Invoice to PINT-AE before passing the document to the PEPPOL access point. This is the recommended approach for most integrations.
PINT-AE format
Use the appropriate format ID from the Formats IDs and document types table.
Custom format
Contact your Sovos representative.

Supported use cases

E-invoicing applies to all business transactions conducted in the UAE between businesses and government entities. The following transaction flows are in scope:

  • Business to Business (B2B)

  • Business to Government (B2G) entity or Government entity to business (G2B)

  • Goods or services supplied to buyers outside the UAE (exports)

Note:

Sovos supports all 16 use cases defined in the UAE mandate for Phase 1 B2B and B2G transactions.

380 - Tax invoice
All supplies within the scope of UAE VAT.
#Use caseDescription
1Standard tax invoice Domestic B2B supply with no special transaction characteristic. Any VAT category may apply.
2Government (B2G) Supply to a UAE federal or emirate government entity.
3Zero-rated supplyTaxable supply at 0% VAT, for example, international transport, investment precious metals, specified real estate, healthcare, and education.
4Exempt supplySupply wholly exempt from UAE VAT by law, for example, bare land, residential property resale, and certain financial services.
5Reverse charge Domestic supply where the buyer is obliged to self-account for VAT under the UAE reverse charge mechanism. Imports of Concerned Goods and Services are excluded from e-invoicing requirements.
6Free Zone Supply into or from a UAE Designated Zone where special VAT treatment applies. The invoice needs beneficiary details.
7Deemed supplyNon-sale event treated as a taxable supply, for example, gifts or business assets for personal use.
8Profit margin schemeSale of second-hand goods, art, or antiques where VAT is charged on the profit margin only. The VAT amount is displayed as 0.
9Summary invoiceOne invoice covering multiple supplies to the same buyer within a calendar month.
10Continuous supplyRecurring supply over a defined period, for example, utilities, telecom, subscriptions, and milestone-based payments.
11Disclosed agent billingAgent invoices on behalf of a named principal. The principal's ID must differ from the agent's TRN.
12E-commerce supply Supply through a platform that collects and remits VAT on behalf of the seller.
13ExportZero-rated supply of goods or services to a buyer outside the UAE.
381 - Tax credit note
Cancels or partially reverses a previously issued tax invoice.
#Use caseDescription
1Standard Credit note for adjustments or returns against a standard tax invoice.
2Disclosed agent billing Credit note for a disclosed agent billing arrangement.
3ExportCredit note for an export transaction.
Note:

This document type has the same use cases as a Tax Invoice.

480 - Commercial invoice
Transactions that fall entirely outside UAE VAT law.
#Use caseDescription
1Standard Invoice for supplies that are out of scope or not subject to VAT, or issued by persons not registered for VAT.
389 - Self-billing invoice
Buyer raises the invoice on behalf of the supplier. Both the buyer and supplier must be registered for VAT and within VAT scope.
#Use caseDescription
1StandardBuyer issues a tax invoice on behalf of the supplier under a self-billing arrangement.
261 - Self-billing credit note
Cancels or partially reverses a previously issued self-billed invoice. Both the buyer and supplier must be registered for VAT and within VAT scope.
#Use caseDescription
1StandardCredit note issued by the buyer in a self-billing arrangement.
81 - Commercial credit note
Cancels or partially reverses a previously issued commercial invoice.
#Use casesDescription
1StandardCredit note for a commercial invoice.

Excluded transactions

The following transactions are outside the scope of the UAE e-invoicing mandate:

B2C
Supplies to consumers (natural persons not in business).
Import
Import of Concerned Goods and Services under reverse charge.
Sovereign activities
Government transactions conducted in a sovereign capacity and not in competition with the private sector.
Airlines supplies
Passenger transportation where an electronic ticket or airway bill is issued.
Exempt financial services
Financial services exempt from VAT under Article 42 of the VAT Executive Regulation.
Note:

See the official Ministry of Finance guidelines for the full and current list.