Six reasons why your e-invoicing strategy could fail — and how to avoid them

Governments across Europe and beyond are rapidly rolling out e-invoicing mandates, pushing businesses to modernise their invoicing systems. But while many companies act with urgency, too many efforts stall or fail altogether — not from a lack of will, but from missteps in planning and execution. 

Whether you’re preparing for mandates in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, or elsewhere across the EU, avoiding these common pitfalls is key to success. Here’s what you need to know.

• Implementing an e-invoicing solution requires cross-functional alignment.  
• Adapting to e-invoicing mandates demands a strategic, integrated approach.
• Avalara can help you build a resilient e-invoicing strategy that scales.

When no single department owns the e-invoicing strategy, teams can assume other departments will handle certain tasks and responsibilities, and initiatives can stall in the gaps between IT, tax, and finance. Projects can sit idle for weeks or months, then face a compressed timeline to completion. Budget conflicts, unclear priorities, and siloed decision-making are also common consequences. 

How to fix it  

Appoint your finance team as the owner, supported by a cross-functional team and strong project management. Designate an executive sponsor and a business champion to maintain accountability and alignment.

Rushing to meet near-term deadlines often leads to tactical, one-off solutions. These can incur hidden costs — such as the rework and redevelopment required when attempting to reuse integrations for specific mandates in other countries — and no clear path to meet future mandates that are certain to come into effect since the passing of VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA).

How to fix it 

Build a long-term roadmap with centralised governance. Look for e-invoicing solutions that go beyond compliance to support automation, standardisation, and integration — all of which drive ROI.

It’s tempting to believe e-invoicing is just another software install. But integration touches invoice data, approval workflows, and ERP systems — and the requirements can vary by country.

How to fix it 

Take a holistic view of your invoice ecosystem. Test early in sandbox environments, plan for local requirements (like digital signatures and real-time reporting), and ensure flexibility as mandates evolve.

With business-to-business (B2B) e-invoicing mandates already in place or coming soon in France, Germany, Belgium, and Poland, time is tight. Businesses that delay risk rushed implementations and vendor bottlenecks, leaving you without a solution and exposed to risk and noncompliance penalties.

How to fix it 

Start now. Map dependencies, scope integration needs with IT, and build in time for testing and user training. Early planning helps reduce disruption — and unlocks early wins.

Relying solely on internal teams or assuming e-invoicing providers will ‘handle it all’ can leave gaps. Many e-invoicing projects fail because teams underestimate the scope and regulatory complexity.

How to fix it 

Bring in external expertise from day one. Look for providers with deep regulatory experience, strong ERP integrations, and support for global compliance — including Partner Dematerialisation Platform (PDP) frameworks in France, e-waybills in Germany, and Peppol e-invoicing in Belgium.

Data inconsistencies, missing fields (such as buyer or seller VAT identification numbers), and legacy structures are top causes of e-invoice rejection and compliance issues.

How to fix it 

Run a data-readiness assessment early. Cleanse master data, align invoice fields with country-specific schemas, and embed validation rules to support scalable, error-free operations.

E-invoicing isn’t just about staying compliant. It’s about enabling efficiency, security, and global scale. With mandates evolving quickly, now’s the time to build a strategy that ensures compliance, reduces risk, and supports future growth. Avalara can help you get there. 

Avalara helps businesses comply with e-invoicing mandates worldwide. Our scalable, integrated solution simplifies compliance and enables a single approach across markets and tax jurisdictions. 
 
Learn how Avalara can support your e-invoicing strategy.