Seeking to close its VAT gap, the Romanian tax authorities have been discussing the idea of implementing measures to combat the country’s ever-increasing VAT gap. After years of discussion, the country announced its Standard Audit File for Tax (SAF-T) initiative which began in January 2022.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) introduced SAF-T in 2005, and Romania joins a long line of European Member States adopting this form of tax legislation.
From 1 January 2022, companies in the General Directorate for the Administration of Large Taxpayers list must report their VAT electronically to the Romanian tax authorities. Transaction and accounting data must be reported through Declaratiei Informative D406 (SAF-T Romania).
This move is not uncommon and follows the trend being seen across the EU with tax administrations requiring increasingly granular data in real-time in Italy, Spain and Hungary paving the way for pre-populated VAT returns.
For more information see this overview about SAF-T in Romania.
The ANAF, Romania’s tax authority, has introduced the RO e-Invoice system. It is optional in the first phase, aiming as a first step at the relationship between companies and the state (B2G) and as a second step, the B2B transactions with high-risk products.
The ultimate goal, as is often the case when a tax administration wants visibility of more data so they can take steps to close their national VAT gap, looks set to be a system that ‘clears’ each supplier invoice prior to it being sent to a buyer.
In this respect, as of 1 July 2022, suppliers will be obliged to use the RO e‑Invoice system in B2B transactions, including high fiscal risk products. Moreover, Romania wants to expand the implementation of e‑invoicing to a broader economy as a next step.
Finally, the Ministry of Finance has announced the introduction of a mandatory e-transport system for monitoring certain goods on the national territory from 1 July 2022. The transportation of high-fiscal risk products must be declared in the e-transport system a maximum of three calendar days before the start of the transport, in advance of the movement of goods from one location to another.
The system will generate a unique code (ITU code) following the declaration. This code must accompany the goods being transported in physical or electronic format with the transport document. Competent authorities will verify the declaration and the goods on the transport routes.
For more information see this overview about e-invoicing in Romania.
September 2021: Voluntary test period began with D406T allowing taxpayers to become familiar with the data extraction and mapping requirements.
January 2022: Large taxpayers included in the Romanian tax authority’s list in early-2021 must comply with new SAF-T regulations.
1 July 2022: Large taxpayers added to the list in November 2021 must comply with the new SAF-T regulations.
1 January 2023: Medium taxpayers must begin submitting SAF-T data.
1 January 2025: Small taxpayers must begin submitting SAF-T data.
March 2020: Pilot program launched.
November 2021: Voluntary participation of B2G scheme.
1 April 2022: Voluntary participation of suppliers in B2B transactions including high-fiscal risk products scheme.
1 July 2022: Mandatory e-invoicing for B2B suppliers of high-fiscal risk products and mandatory issuance of e-transport document for the transport of high fiscal risk products.
2023: Mandate expansion to other B2B flows expected.
Understand more about Romania SAF-T including when to comply, penalties, requirements and how Sovos can help
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