Helping companies and accompanying them in their digital transformation. That is the mission of easyapwith both the content we share and the digital solutions we develop for all kinds of companies. But we are not the only ones to do so. Governments and organizations of all kinds have also been involved in this process for years. This involvement has given rise to some of the most useful concepts, regulations and associations, and one of them is EESPA. What is it? What advantages does it offer brands? What is its weight in Europe? How does it affect electronic invoicing? These are some of the questions that we will now go into in more detail.
What is EESPA?
As you can guess when you read this word, EESPA is an acronym. Specifically, these acronyms stands for European E-Invoicing Service Providers Association. In other words, its literal translation into English would be Association of Electronic Invoicing Service Providers.
But, beyond the linguistic aspect, what is EESPA? what is EESPA and what is the purpose of this organization? We could say that it is a European trade association around which a very large community of e-invoicing service providers has European trade association around which a very large community of e-invoicing service providers has been created.
These suppliers that make up EESPA offer digital solutions for different sectors: technology, commercial outsourcing, finance, technology, EDI... In turn, it is an international non-profit association and since its birth in 2011 has gained a lot of weight in the field of electronic invoicing:
- EESPA currently has more than 90 members.
- EESPA components process more than 2 billion digital invoices each year.
EESPA also organizes events of all kinds to promote the use of e-invoices, whether B2B, B2G or B2C. In this sense, they have the support of some of the most powerful brands in the world (KPMG, SAP, Amazon, IBM, Mastercard or PwC).
Of course, EESPA's members also include us, easyap. This is yet another sign of our commitment to promoting the digitization of the business fabric at all levels.
Mission and main advantages offered by EESPA
Lectures and webinars on technological matters, provision of information digitally on taxes such as VAT, congresses in different European cities, interventions in shareholders' meetings of large companies... These are some of the activities organized by EESPA in cities all over Europe. All of this, as we have said, in favor of the digital transformation. To carry it out, it relies on the three pillars on which it was based at its birth. These are:
- Support and promote business efficiency and innovation through digital transformation. through digital transformation.
- To inform members and the society in general about all the developments about everything that happens in relation to electronic invoicing: news, white papers, statistics...
- To create a framework for business cooperation in which there is operational fluidity among its members.
EESPA has also become during these more than ten years that it has been operating in a very important entity for electronic invoicing in Europe. electronic invoicing in Europe. The reason is that it generates benefits for numerous companies and also for governments. These are the main advantages of EESPA:
- Helps achieve very important objectives of the EU public agenda in the areas of fiscal efficiency, environmental and social responsibility. in the areas of fiscal efficiency, environmental and social responsibility.
- Intervenes in the creation of a solid regulatory framework at the continental level and serves as a reference It helps to create a solid regulatory framework at continental level and serves as a reference for internal policies of the governments of European countries.
- It has an educational offer for industry participants, which it very effectively It has an educational offer for industry participants, which it promulgates very effectively.
- It is a very interesting source of information It is a very interesting source of information to keep up to date on regulations and new legal changes.
- It is a very useful space for its members to build coalitions and establish alliances. It is a very useful space for its members to build coalitions and establish alliances.
Ultimately, EESPA's greatest benefit benefit of EESPA is that it cooperates with public bodies, governments and brands from all types of sectors in this important process we are undergoing: digitalization.
Status of electronic invoicing in Europe
As we have been commenting along these lines, the e-invoices e-invoices in our continent and in many other countries around the world are a reality. In fact, it is a process that has been going on for years and is growing. What's new about e-invoicing in Europe (and in other parts of the world) are becoming more and more frequent and profound.
In this regard, it is worth remembering that the EU itself has been the first to promote the implementation of electronic invoicing for years. For this reason, it has required all its member states to use it since April 18, 2019, which is when Directive 2014/55/EU of the Parliament of the European Union Directive 2014/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council came into force. Through this law, a common and mandatory format for the use of electronic invoicing in any commercial relationship with European public administrations. In other words, for the B2G.
As a result of this law, many countries have been updating their tax authorities with respect to electronic invoicing. The first was Denmark in 2005, followed by the rest of the Nordic countries (Sweden in 2008, Finland in 2010 and Norway in 2011).
Subsequently, they would adopt B2G e-invoicing countries such as Austria, Moldova and Italy, which was a pioneer in making electronic invoicing mandatory for B2B relations as well. In 2015, Spain, among others, joinedamong others, which later in 2018, would establish the mandatory use of electronic invoicing for all suppliers of the Public Administration with invoices over 5,000 euros. Currently, the vast majority of the EU has its own regulation for electronic invoicing.
Benefits of electronic invoicing
The fact is that all these efforts by EESPA and the various national and EU bodies seek to help. Both themselves and the entire business community. What is also becoming clear is that these initiatives and movements are already yielding positive results. In fact, there are benefits of e-invoicing at all levels. at all levels.
Advantages for governments
On the one hand, in the B2G world, the governments of the EU and its member states are the first to benefit. With e-invoicing, they have the possibility to control all the accounting processes of the companies much better.. What we call traceability. In other words, they can fight tax evasion much more efficiently.
In this regard, although online invoicing is generally only mandatory for B2G transactions, everything points to progress in this area. In other words, sooner rather than later sooner rather than later, any B2B (between private companies) and B2C sale and purchase will be digitally recorded..
Advantages for companies
At the same time, there are also important benefits of electronic invoicing for businesses. These are the ones that, in our experience, we have seen:
- Significant direct direct cost savings by eliminating the use of paper, printing equipment and the sending and storage of invoices.
- reduces the impact on the environment. Reduced impact on the environment by the disappearance of the aforementioned paper and by the lower emission of CO2 in shipments.
- The Receipt of invoices is automated, integrating them directly into the system.The receipt of invoices is automated, integrating them directly into the system.
- All invoices are better All invoices are better accounted for The system, to which they arrive and in which they are comfortably recorded, is better accounted for.
- Because of advantages such as the above, the company's productivity of the company as a whole increases..
- Time optimizationTime optimization, since certain departments such as human resources or accounting can dedicate hours to other issues, since everything is automated.
- Many human errors are eliminated Many human errors are eliminated (or, at least, considerably reduced), since there is less intervention.
- Communication (and relationship) with suppliers (and the relationship) with suppliers The communication (and the relationship) with suppliers who want to know the status of their outstanding invoices is greatly improved and they can access this information without so much paperwork.
- It Delivery and collection times are shortened, since an automatedThe automated system the invoice approval workflow is much faster and more agile.
- The The security and protection of data and information is much higher due to the due to the specific protocols used and the digital signature. digital signature. At the same time, software such as easyap stores documents and data according to the corresponding legislation and with all the guarantees.
- The information retrieval is much easier than in the past, as everything is recorded and stored in one of these cloud systems.The consultation of information is much easier than in the past, since everything is recorded and stored in one of these cloud systems.
If you opt for the solution developed by easyap, you will also enjoy other advantages. For example, with our software you will also be able to account for employee expenses. At the same time, you will be able to provide your tax information to the corresponding organizations (we adapt to AEAT systems, SII, TicketBAI, SILICIE...).
Another of our added values is that we adapt to you. We have developed customized software for companies in Europe, North Africa and America, as well as in very different sectors. And with us you pay for each invoice issued. That's why we can say that we are a solution that fits companies of any size and invoicing volume. Do you want to know more?
