VERI*FACTU was the most talked-about topic among self-employed individuals and companies in Spain at the end of 2025, following the second postponement of the entry into force of the legislation. This extension of the deadlines gave many businesses a respite, as they were still unsure how to adapt to the requirements. However, given the revised enforcement date—after the first delay—was scheduled for January 1, 2026, many professionals and organizations used this period to start digitizing their invoicing process: as reported in SERES’ “12th Electronic Billing Study,” between 2023 and 2024, there was a considerable rise in the issuance and receipt of electronic invoices (also known as e-invoices) at medium-size and large enterprises.

Despite these delays, VERI*FACTU will come into force sooner or later and will force the vast majority of Spanish companies to update their invoice issuance and recording processes, as already happened with other statutes approved regarding mandatory electronic billing in Spain: the anti-fraud law, the Create and Grow Law, the Immediate Supply of Information (SII), and TicketBAI—used solely in the Basque Country. To reinforce this regulatory framework, VERI*FACTU will require businesses in the country to modify their e-invoicing tools to match the technical standards set by the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT).

In this article, we’ll see how VERI*FACTU works, who it applies to, and how it will affect your business.

What’s in this article?

• What VERI*FACTU is
  
• When VERI*FACTU enters into force
  
• Aims of VERI*FACTU
  
• Who is required to use VERI*FACTU?
  
• How VERI*FACTU affects Spanish businesses
  
• Penalties and risks for not complying with VERI*FACTU
  
• How to get ready for VERI*FACTU with Stripe
  

What VERI*FACTU is

VERI*FACTU is a term that encompasses two concepts introduced by the AEAT:

• The type of computerized billing system (SIF) that companies and self-employed individuals must use to send their invoice records to the AEAT in real time
  
• The regulation that stipulates the requirements that application tools must meet
  

This framework aims to stop organizations from partially concealing revenue through dual-use software and to eradicate off-the-books accounting in Spanish commercial activity.

When VERI*FACTU enters into force

Following the latest extension of the implementation deadline announced on December 3, 2025, these are the new dates on which the system becomes mandatory:

• January 1, 2027: Corporate income tax (IS) payers
  
• July 1, 2027: All remaining businesses and self-employed individuals (autónomos)
  

These dates are established in Royal Decree-Law 15/2025, which introduced a new extension to the rollout deadline of the legislation. Although Royal Decree 1007/2023, published in December 2023, set the initial effective date of VERI*FACTU for July 2025, less than a year later (in October 2024), Ministerial Order HAC/1177/2024 postponed its deployment for the first time.

Aims of VERI*FACTU

The rollout of VERI*FACTU is in response to the mandate of the anti-fraud law to guarantee the integrity and traceability of invoicing logs. By standardizing the rules for digital platforms, the AEAT sets out some clear objectives:

Combating tax fraud

VERI*FACTU’s primary goal is to eliminate software that enables data manipulation or off-the-books accounting. By requiring an SIF that prevents missed entries or the alteration of issued invoices, it ensures that tax returns reflect businesses’ true financial standing. Entities fulfilling fiscal duties shield themselves from unfair competition posed by the underground economy.

Digitizing and standardizing billing processes

The deployment of this measure represents a step forward in the digital transformation of self-employed individuals and companies in Spain. Adopting standardized recording formats helps simplify communication among government agencies and the exchange of information between businesses and their customers.

Promoting transparency and citizen oversight

The system embeds QR codes on all invoices, enabling recipients to verify whether the AEAT has correctly recorded the document immediately. In addition to simplifying cooperation with the AEAT, organizations provide a public verification tool that strengthens a culture of fiscal adherence and demonstrates the reliability of digital platforms.

Who is required to use VERI*FACTU?

The VERI*FACTU system is mandatory for the following taxpayers:

• Self-employed individuals
  
• Businesspeople
  
• Entities without legal personality, such as Bank Asset Funds
  
• Companies governed by civil law with legal personality but without a commercial purpose, such as those that carry out agricultural activities
  

The framework applies if the aforementioned taxpayers meet these characteristics:

• They rely on electronic billing platforms
  
• They are domiciled in Spain and are also taxed in common territory, i.e., any autonomous community or Spanish territory except the Basque Country and Navarre
  
• They are liable for at least one of the following taxes:
  
  • Personal income tax (IRPF) due to their professional activity
    
  • Nonresident income tax (IRNR)
    
  • Corporate income tax (IS)
    

Who is not required to use VERI*FACTU?

Companies, self-employed individuals, or entities that meet at least one of the following conditions are exempt from the VERI*FACTU system:

• Residing in Navarre or the Basque Country, since these autonomous communities operate their own digital invoicing platforms (NaTicket and TicketBAI, respectively).
  
• Keeping value-added tax (VAT) ledgers through the SII.
  
• Obtaining authorization from the AEAT in cases where its application is technically unfeasible.
  
• Exclude transactions that Royal Decree 1619/2012 exempts from invoicing; use VERI*FACTU solely when selling goods or providing services that require an invoice.
  

How VERI*FACTU affects Spanish businesses

SERES’ “12th Electronic Billing Study” indicates that in 2024, 45,600 new companies adopted digital billing procedures, including issuing invoices in structured formats that can be processed automatically. Still, many businesses have not yet implemented VERI*FACTU because it can seem somewhat complex without the right partner.

Below, we look at several points to consider when adopting this system:

Ensure that the software meets the requirements

Companies and self-employed individuals in Spain who are required to use VERI*FACTU need to confirm the program they rely on contains a statement of compliance issued by the developer declaring its compatibility with the framework. With this document, which must be accessible from the SIF, the manufacturer certifies that the software meets the following characteristics:

• Automatic and secure submission: It submits tax information (specifically invoice entries) through the VERI*FACTU system. This submission must be secure and automated.
  
• Creation of billing records: Every time a business sells a product or contracts a service, the VERI*FACTU billing program creates an entry—a digital file that contains the transaction details. The software must create this record simultaneously with, or immediately before, issuing the invoice; never afterward.
  
• Separation of confidential and tax data: Personal data that has no tax implications must stay separate from data relevant for fiscal purposes, such as the taxable amount of a sale. This lets the AEAT analyze the relevant figures directly, quickly, and easily.
  
• Chaining of records: The system must chain all billing records in a sequence that reflects their chronological order of issuance.
  
• Event logging: The system must automatically log all actions and incidents, including logins and software updates.
  
• Inalterability: The program needs to preserve the integrity of billing records and prevent the manipulation of details that the platform has already captured, ensuring those details stay protected after capture.
  

Include additional elements on the invoices

Businesses need to make sure invoices contain the following elements:

• QR code: Printed invoices must show a QR code, while digital versions can replace it by showing the same details in the visual representation.
  
• VERI*FACTU identifier: Each invoice must include the term “VERI*FACTU” or the phrase “Invoice verifiable at the AEAT website.”
  

Ensure that the software includes the mandatory information in the billing records

The VERI*FACTU system establishes a standard format and structure for billing records, meaning the electronic files the SIF generates when an invoice is issued. Below is a summary of the content that these files must include:

• Issuer details: The tax identification number (NIF) of the person issuing the invoice, alongside the given name and surname in the case of a self-employed individual or the full company name in the case of a legal entity, such as a limited liability company (SL) or a public limited company (SA).
  
• Customer details: In cases where Royal Decree 1619/2012 requires identification of the recipient (such as when a full invoice is mandatory), the software must include their NIF, plus the given name and surname in the case of a self-employed or a private individual, or the full company name in the case of a legal entity. It is worth noting that VERI*FACTU does not change the rules regarding customer details on simplified invoices, so they are not mandatory to include.
  
• Issuer: Indicates whether it is an invoice materially issued by the recipient or by third parties.
  
• Number and series: This identifies the document, using a number and, if applicable, a series to distinguish documents in sequential and chronological order.
  
• Date: Record the date of issuance—that is, when the business prepares and sends it. If this date differs from the transaction or advance payment date, include both.
  
• Invoice type: Indicates whether it is a full or simplified invoice—usually referred to as a ticket or receipt.
  
• Corrective invoice: Clearly state that it is a corrective invoice and identify the original it modifies.
  
• Invoice that replaces a simplified invoice: Specifies that it is an invoice issued to replace a previous simplified invoice and identifies the original receipt (if applicable).
  
• Description: Describes each product or service.
  
• Amount: The total invoice amount.
  
• System: Indicates the VAT system that applies to the items listed on the invoice, such as the general regime or the additional VAT regime.
  
• Taxable person: Indicates whether the customer is a taxable person for VAT purposes when the reverse charge mechanism applies.
  
• VAT breakdown: Details the tax base, the VAT rates applied, and the total amount of VAT charged on the invoice. If the additional VAT applies, it indicates the rates and the additional VAT amount.
  
• Tax-exempt transaction: If the invoice documents a VAT-exempt transaction, it states the amount and the reason why it is exempt from VAT payment.
  
• Chaining of records: If it is not the first invoicing entry generated by the SIF, it records the invoice number and series (if applicable), plus the date of issuance and a partial reproduction of the fingerprint from the previous record.
  
• Developer identification: Records the code and other identifying information for the developer of the SIF.
  
• Exact time of record: Capture the exact moment the platform creates the digital file, using a timestamp that reflects the date, hour, minute, and second.
  
• Circumstances: Describes the situation where the electronic file was generated, e.g., a network disconnection that prevented sending the invoice in real time.
  

By having all these details, the AEAT can verify the organization’s invoicing is complete, accessible, traceable, legible, and completely inalterable.

Penalties and risks for not complying with VERI*FACTU

Ignoring the VERI*FACTU rules can lead to automatic penalties from the AEAT, regardless of fraudulent intent. The law is strict regarding the possession of billing systems that do not have the mandatory statement of compliance. Below are the amounts of the fines and fiscal risks faced by self-employed individuals and companies that do not adapt their digital invoicing processes in time:

Financial penalties

Article 201 bis of the anti-fraud law establishes penalties for those who use or market software that does not meet integrity and traceability standards. The fines differ for users and developers of billing programs:

• For companies and self-employed individuals: Using electronic systems that do not comply with legislation or lack the required certification can result in fines of €50,000 for each financial year the program remains in use.
  
• For developers and marketers: Developing or offering invoicing software that enables off-the-books accounting can trigger penalties of up to €150,000 for each year the program is sold. If the platform meets the legal standards but has not obtained the mandatory certification, the fine will be €1,000 per program marketed.
  

Tax and legal risks

Aside from these financial penalties, reliance of platforms not authorized by the VERI*FACTU regulations can have other negative consequences for the company:

• Loss of tax benefits: The detection of irregularities in the software might result in exclusion from certain tax regimes or the loss of government subsidies and aid.
  
• Increased risk profile in the eyes of the AEAT: The use of incompatible platforms generates automatic alerts within the agency’s tools and increases the likelihood of a thorough audit.
  
• Reputational damage: If the invoices issued by a company do not include the verifiable QR code, customers and business partners could perceive a lack of transparency or administrative irregularity.
  

How to get ready for VERI*FACTU with Stripe

The “12th Electronic Billing Study” reveals that, in 2024, the vast majority of businesses—especially microenterprises and large companies—had not effectively adopted digital invoicing. Some remain reluctant, though their billing processes need to adapt to the VERI*FACTU rules in the coming months. Others are already preparing, and Stripe can serve as their ideal partner.

When considering adopting this system, companies often opt for specialized software to issue invoices. This strategy often results in disconnected tools handling the remaining process, such as entering details, delivering invoices to customers, and collecting payments.

By contrast, when you work with a modern payment platform, such as Stripe Payments, each of these steps is combined into a complete solution that automates the entire invoice issuance, collection, and payment reconciliation process. Faster collections follow: customers pay 87% of Stripe invoices within the first 24 hours.

To further facilitate operations, Stripe App Marketplace is a library of applications that integrate easily into your payment platform and adapt to the most specific needs of your business.

One of the applications available in the Stripe App Marketplace is Invopop, a solution developed in Spain whose features help organizations meet rules in the country. One of its most important functions is full integration into the VERI*FACTU system. It also aligns with regional legislation, such as TicketBAI in the Basque Country. In fact, it is listed as certified software for TicketBAI by the Provincial Tax Authorities of Álava, Vizcaya, and Guipúzcoa.

On the other hand, Billit is a pioneering electronic billing platform focused on meeting the various invoicing requirements across the European Union. Billit offers automated features that let you link your company’s bank account and simplify invoice reconciliation.

FAQs about the VERI*FACTU system