In Spain, invoices are the most well-known form of documenting commercial transactions. Under the strict regulatory framework that governs transaction documentation, businesses can issue different types and formats of invoices. The correct type depends on the issuer, scope of application, and purpose.

From pro forma invoices to electronic invoices, each invoice type serves a specific purpose. To choose the right invoice for each situation, it is important to know when to issue each type and their features.

In this article, we explain the differences among the various invoice types, including their subtypes and tools you can use to simplify the invoicing process.

What’s in this article?

• What is a regular invoice?
  
• What is an electronic invoice?
  
• What is a simplified invoice?
  
• What is a pro forma invoice?
  
• What is a corrective invoice?
  
• What is a summary invoice?
  
• What is an advance invoice?
  
• What is a self-billing invoice?
  
• What is a duplicate invoice?
  
• Legal deadlines to issue each invoice type in Spain
  
• How Stripe can help simplify the invoicing process
  

What is a regular invoice?

Also known as a “full invoice,” a regular invoice provides a detailed breakdown of a company’s commercial transactions. Currently, regular invoices can be physical or electronic. When the final regulations of the Create and Grow (Crea y Crece) Law come into effect—expected in January 2027—it will be mandatory to issue them in digital format. In Spain, regular invoices are the most common way to document transactions between businesses.

A regular invoice must be prepared and issued for all business-to-government (B2G), B2B, and B2C transactions that exceed €400. This is increased to €3,000 in certain industries, such as retail, hospitality, and transport.

To be valid for tax purposes, all regular invoices must include a sequential number or series, date of issue, details of the issuer and recipient, description of the goods sold, and a value-added tax (VAT) breakdown.

Regular invoice types

The information regular invoices contain is virtually identical across all types. However, applicable taxes vary depending on the legal formation of the issuer and recipient, as well as the customer’s location. Depending on applicable taxes, regular invoices are divided into three types.

Regular invoices with VAT

This invoice is issued when selling products or services subject to VAT in the Iberian Peninsula or the Balearic Islands (i.e., the territory where indirect taxes apply). This is the most common regular invoice type because VAT applies to most commercial transactions.

On this invoice, descriptions of each product or service and the units sold must be listed on separate lines. In addition, the invoice must include all information relating to the tax amount, including unit price without VAT, discounts applied, amount on which VAT is calculated (i.e., the tax base), VAT rates applied as a percentage, total amount of VAT charged on the invoice, and the final price.

The current tax rates in Spain are 21%, 10%, and 4%. Although a 0% tax rate still exists in 2026, it only applies to certain donations to nonprofit organizations.

Regular invoices without VAT

Regular invoices without VAT are issued when documented sales are exempt (e.g., health services, cultural events, exports from Spain, and certain intracommunity transactions) or are not subject to VAT (e.g., deliveries of free samples).

When issuing an invoice without VAT, it is mandatory to include a statement specifying the reason why this tax is not charged, such as, “Intracommunity supply exempt from VAT pursuant to Article 25 of Law 37/1992 on VAT.” Furthermore, if it is a B2B transaction in the EU, the invoice must include the intracommunity VAT numbers of the buyer and seller.

Regular invoices with income tax (IRPF)

Regular invoices must include the withholding of IRPF if the issuer is a self-employed individual offering professional or artistic services and the recipient is a company or self-employed individual in Spain.

The IRPF rate applied to these invoices is 15%, except for those who have recently registered as self-employed. They can invoice at 7% in the year they register and the following two years. Those under the special scheme for agriculture, livestock, and fishing can use a withholding tax of 2%, which is reduced to 1% for pork and poultry fattening activities.

As with VAT calculations, the IRPF withholding is calculated based on the invoice’s tax base. In this case, it is a negative percentage. The amount of personal IRPF withheld is subtracted from the final amount charged by the self-employed individual. Then, the customer makes the payment to the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) using Form 111 on behalf of the issuer.

Here is an example: A self-employed individual invoices a company based in Spain for services rendered during the past month. The tax base on the invoice is €2,000. This is the figure used to calculate the VAT and IRPF withholding.

In this example, the company must pay €2,120 to the self-employed individual and then €300 to the AEAT for the IRPF withholding on this invoice. The self-employed individual must declare the €420 of VAT they charged on this invoice to the AEAT using the self-assessment in Form 303. Here, they can deduct the VAT paid for their professional expenses. The resulting difference is the amount that must be paid to the AEAT.

What is an electronic invoice?

According to its official definition, an electronic invoice is issued and received in electronic format. It is not simply a digital document with the same information as a paper invoice. Instead, it is a structured file issued in one of the formats accepted by Spanish regulations. Because of this unalterable information, electronic invoices are automatically traceable. Therefore, the AEAT can validate them instantly.

Electronic invoice types

Royal Decree 1007/2023 provides two methods to fulfill the electronic invoice obligation introduced in the Create and Grow Law. The method chosen determines the electronic invoice type the company must issue.

Electronic invoices under the Verifiable Invoice Issuance System (VERI*FACTU) form

The aim of this method is to record each sale electronically, securely, and unalterably, while simultaneously sending these records to the AEAT. To do this, companies must issue their invoices using software that meets VERI*FACTU requirements. Along with the electronic invoice sent to the customer as proof of the transaction, a structured extensible markup language (XML) file is generated and sent to the AEAT.

Electronic invoices issued with this method must contain the statement: “Invoice verifiable at the AEAT website” or, simply, “VERI*FACTU.”

Electronic invoices with the non-VERI*FACTU method

The non-VERI*FACTU method allows records to be kept locally without immediately submitting them to the AEAT. Although it does comply with the law, this method requires stricter technical requirements. Electronic invoices must be issued with software that guarantees the integrity, traceability, and inalterability of invoicing records through the use of digital signatures and hash chains.

Electronic invoices issued using this method do not include a specific statement, as shown above. If the AEAT carries out an audit, the business is responsible for providing immediate access to the stored records. The business must also demonstrate that the records have not been modified since they were created.

What is a simplified invoice?

A receipt or cash register ticket—which is legally called a “simplified invoice”—contains less data and involves fewer requirements than a regular invoice. It does not require the identification of the customer or the VAT breakdown. However, it does require a description of each product or service with enough detail to provide proof of the amount charged. The main purpose of simplified invoices is to provide proof of low-value transactions for tax purposes to simplify the sales process.

Issuing a simplified invoice instead of a regular one is only legal under certain circumstances. Generally, this is limited to sales of up to €400, but the threshold increases to €3000 for businesses in sectors such as retail or hospitality.

It is also important to remember that if the customer requests a regular invoice instead of a simplified invoice, the company has the obligation to issue and deliver it to them.

What is a pro forma invoice?

A pro forma invoice informs the customer about a transaction that has not yet taken place. Although it is similar to a price quotation, it follows the typical invoice format. The amount it shows is almost never modified.

Pro forma invoices do not need to be numbered. However, it is advisable to include an expiration date that clearly indicates to the customer how long the commercial offer is valid.

Pro forma invoices are for informational purposes only and cannot be used as proof of sales or to enforce payment of any amount. In short, they are not valid for tax or accounting purposes.

What is a corrective invoice?

A corrective invoice corrects a previous invoice. They are issued when the tax base is modified or an error is detected in the mandatory information (e.g., errors in the identification of the issuer or recipient).

A corrective invoice must contain the following information:

• A series with sequential numbering that is independent from the regular invoice and indicates that it is a corrective invoice
  
• Information that identifies the original invoice
  
• The positive or negative amount, depending on whether the original price has increased or decreased
  
• The positive or negative VAT amount, proportional to the corrected tax base
  

It is not mandatory to specify the reason for the correction. However, it is recommended to include this information so the AEAT is aware of the reason. On the other hand, under Article 15.4 of Royal Decree 1619/2012, if your company issues a corrective invoice to modify the tax base by applying a discount for high purchase volumes, it is not necessary to identify the previous invoice. It is sufficient to specify the date of the original transaction or the time frame for the purchase volume discount.

Corrective invoice types

The way to record a corrective invoice in Spain depends on its subcategory.

Corrective invoices for replacements

A corrective invoice for replacement cancels the original invoice and legally replaces it. The correct final amount stated on the corrective invoice must be recorded. However, the difference from the original invoice must also be specified on the corrective invoice.

Corrective invoices for differences

A corrective invoice for differences is used to correct specific errors. The document reflects the amount of the adjustment, and only that monetary difference from the original invoice is recorded.

Corrective invoices for credits

Corrective invoices used to record total or partial refunds of original amounts (e.g., after purchase returns) are specifically called “credit notes.”

Since a credit note always reflects a decrease in the tax base, the tax base and VAT amount are negative. Only the amount of the difference in relation to the initial transaction is recorded.

What is a summary invoice?

A summary invoice groups together several transactions with the same customer during a maximum period of one calendar month. The requirements for summary invoices are governed by Article 13 of Royal Decree 1619/2012. It provides the following deadlines for issuing this invoice type:

• B2C transactions: Last day of the calendar month when the sales occur
  
• B2B transactions: No later than the 16th day of the month following the month when the sales occur
  

Summary invoices must include details about the grouped transactions, which are typically documented with delivery notes. The transactions must have taken place within one calendar month and with the same customer.

Each summarized transaction must appear on a separate line, along with the information necessary to identify it and calculate the tax due. This is obtained by adding up the tax bases for each transaction. By issuing a single summary invoice—instead of a regular invoice for each transaction—the administrative burden is significantly reduced for both businesses and customers.

What is an advance invoice?

Advance invoices serve as proof of customers’ advance payments before receiving products or services. They are also known as “prepayment invoices” and are common in businesses such as travel agencies or home renovation companies.

Issuing advance invoices is mandatory due to the specific tax rules governing advance payments. Under Law 37/1992 on VAT, if a customer pays for a product or service subject to VAT before receiving it, the tax becomes due (i.e., the obligation to report the VAT arises) when the advance payment is received. When the remaining amount is collected, another invoice must be issued reflecting the remaining VAT amount.

Advance invoice content differs from regular invoice content in one important way. Advance invoices must include the date the advance payment is received, if it differs from the invoice issue date. An invoice must be issued for each payment received, and it must specify the taxable amount and the VAT amount associated with the amount paid by the customer in each case.

According to AEAT regulations, no specific statement is required for the invoice to count as an advance invoice. However, regional authorities can establish their own rules. For example, in the Basque Country it is mandatory to include the word “advance” in the invoice description before issuing it through TicketBAI. Therefore, it is advisable to include the statement to avoid problems and ensure tax transparency.

What is a self-billing invoice?

Article 5 of Royal Decree 1619/2012 states that the recipient of the transaction can handle issuing the invoice, as long as there is a prior agreement with the company or professional. The regulations also specify that this type of invoice—commonly referred to as a “self-invoice”—must include a separate series number for each client or third-party company issuing it, in addition to the statement, “invoiced by the recipient.”

Although issued by the customer, these invoices are issued on behalf of the supplier (i.e., the company or professional that sells the product or provides the service). The supplier is responsible for the invoice content for legal purposes. Therefore, these invoices are subject to a prior acceptance procedure and, after their approval, the issuer must send a copy to the supplier.

What is a duplicate invoice?

A duplicate invoice is an exact copy of the original invoice that has the same validity for tax purposes. Therefore, only one of them can be used to provide proof of the transaction. To avoid problems in tax management, Spanish regulations only allow issuing a duplicate invoice in the following cases:

• The original is lost, regardless of the reason for the loss.
  
• There are several recipients within the same transaction. In this case, both the original invoice and all duplicate invoices must include the details of all customers and the proportion of the tax base and the VAT amount corresponding to each of them.
  

In all cases, the label “duplicate” must appear on these invoices.

Legal deadlines to issue each invoice type in Spain

The deadlines for issuing and delivering an invoice vary depending on the invoice type and recipient. In all cases, the AEAT specifies that the transaction occurs at the time VAT accrues (i.e., when the obligation to collect the tax arises). Below, we provide the deadlines for issuing each invoice type:

How Stripe can help simplify the invoicing process

Invoicing processes must comply with regulations and meet customer and business needs. Businesses can reduce the administrative burden by automating the issuance of invoices or providing proof of advance payments with advance invoices. To simplify accounting management and minimize errors, it is important that the software you use meets the requirements of your business. The apps available in the Stripe App Marketplace can help you achieve this.

For example, you can automate the management of all your invoices with Invopop, a solution developed in Spain that has functions for compliance with Spanish regulations, such as full integration with the VERI*FACTU system. With this tool, you can meet the mandatory electronic invoicing requirements in Spain by issuing different invoice types, including regular and simplified invoices and corrective invoices for differences or replacement.

In addition, Billit is a pioneering electronic invoicing platform in Europe that focuses on ensuring fulfillment of the various electronic invoicing requirements across the EU. Billit also has automated features that allow you to link your business bank account and simplify invoice reconciliation.

FAQs about invoice types in Spain