If you are a CFO, you have probably considered or are considering more efficient solutions for your e-invoicing. While Excel has been a convenient tool for years, it is increasingly limited and outdated due to new legal and technological requirements. We explain why you should abandon Excel invoices, how current regulations affect them, when it will be impossible to continue invoicing with it, and the safest, most effective, and approved alternatives to manage everything.
How do you invoice with Excel?
If you work in finance or own a business, you probably know what we’re talking about. Creating invoices with Excel involves:
- Creating and customizing templates with fixed data: logo, tax ID (CIF), client details, etc.
- Manually entering items: series, date, description, unit, price, and subtotal.
- Applying formulas for VAT, retentions, totals, etc.
- Converting to PDF and sending via email or printing documents.
- Saving invoices and updating a manual record.
And although Excel has been very popular for its versatility and low cost, today it presents several limitations:
- More human errors when manually entering data: figures, incorrect formulas, or duplications.
- It does not guarantee traceability or integrity of the record.
- Sending, tracking, collections, and fiscal archiving is inefficient.
Is it possible to invoice this way with the new e-invoice?
The fact is that in Spain, invoicing public entities with Excel is already legally unviable. In the private sector, although there are still companies that may accept these invoices, they are also invalid for clients who require Facturae. And this will increase.
It is said that you can convert your Excel invoice to PDF and send it, but this does not meet the requirements of the mandatory e-invoice, since:
- It does not have Facturae format nor a recognized electronic signature.
- It does not integrate with approved solutions that ensure traceability, authenticity, and integrity.
In other words, in the midst of the digital transformation, which governments worldwide and the business sector en masse are joining, Excel invoices are losing relevance due to limitations like these:
The importance of using approved software
This is why, as we mentioned in the previous section, approved software for electronic invoicing is so important now and for the future. Specifically, they offer:
- Legal compliance. Facturae, electronic signature, PTO, and current regulations.
- Traceability and security. Automatic recording, shipment tracking, secure archiving, and demonstrable integrity.
- Efficiency and scalability. Automated workflows with document issuance, submission, and archiving.
- Improved financial control. They have dashboards with real-time information, payment alerts, collections, and pre-configured fields.
Therefore, if you continue with Excel invoicing and without approved software:
- You run the risk of incurring penalties for an invalid electronic invoice.
- You lose agility and financial visibility.
- You will have more errors and duplications due to manual invoice management.
3 reasons to avoid creating invoices in Excel
Furthermore, here are the three main reasons why you should stop creating your invoices in Excel:
- Legal and regulatory risk. These are invoices that do not comply with Facturae or with the approved electronic signature. Furthermore, they are vulnerable to inspections and also subject to penalties under the Anti-Fraud Law.
- Unprofessional company image. Manual or Excel invoices often include outdated or inconsistent logos. Furthermore, their submission is usually via email, which can create disorganization and project a poorer business image.
- Operational inefficiency.With Excel invoices, editing, sending, collecting, and archiving documents are manual processes, which reduces efficiency. Additionally, the risk of data errors, duplications, or failed collections is much higher.
How does the Anti-Fraud Law affect invoicing with Excel?
From a legal perspective, the recent Law 11/2021 on Measures to Prevent and Combat Tax Fraud (art. 7) states that:
- Invoice records must maintain a secure computerized record, with a verification system that prevents modifications after issuance.
- It is mandatory to keep records in a legible and authenticated format.
- The use of systems that allow alterations is penalized in invoicing, as can happen with uncontrolled .xlsx files.
But, in addition to that Anti-Fraud Law, there are more regulations that require a transition to electronic invoicing:
- Law 56/2007 – Information Society Services: requires data protection and electronic signatures for digital services.
- Royal Decree 1619/2012 – Registration obligations: legal invoices and systematic record-keeping.
- Law 25/2013 – Use of electronic invoicing with Public Administrations.
- Law 11/2021 Anti-Fraud – Computerized and inviolable accounting record.
- VAT Law 58/2003 – Control of deliveries and supporting documentation that justifies the operation.
Nowadays, invoicing with Excel does not comply with these criteria for security, integrity, and invariability of records. Non-compliance with any of these laws can result in sanctions, fines, and even tax blockages.
Tips for replacing Excel with professional invoicing
In this regard, consultants advise migrating in the short term (6–12 months). So, how can you move away from Excel invoices and start with electronic invoicing?:
- Implement approved cloud-based invoicing software.
- Use an ERP with an invoicing module.
- Work with approved marketplaces or vertical platforms.
- Rely on a digital invoicing API.
- Ensure the technology you use utilizes Blockchain or advanced signatures.
- Perform a progressive migration.
- Train your team in using the tool you implement.
- Conduct tests to verify if your system is functioning correctly.
Why easyap is better than Excel for invoicing
Precisely this is where easyap comes in. A solution that helps you apply these tips and take advantage of the numerous benefits of electronic invoices. You can see for yourself with this comparison table against Excel invoices:
Therefore, with easyap you ensure:
- Full legal compliance
- More productivity, as it automates, issues, and records without manual intervention.
- Advanced financial control with dashboards, customer analysis, payment reminders, and optimal tax modules, among other advantages.
In summary, invoicing with Excel has been useful and even essential. However, in this digital age, it is becoming legally and operationally obsolete. Current laws require approved systems with signatures, traceability, and structured sending.
If you want operational efficiency, legal security, and financial optimization, you need to migrate to approved software. In that scenario, easyap is ideal for financial directors who want to comply and grow. Contact usand experience real savings, less risk and, above all, a leap to digital efficiency and professionalism.
