10 things to consider when choosing an e-invoicing solution
Finding the right software to overcome e-invoicing challenges
The rapid rise of mandatory e-invoicing
Tax rules are changing fast, and many countries now require e-invoicing. More than 80 countries have announced — or already enforce — e-invoicing mandates.
Even if it’s not yet required where you operate, switching to e-invoicing can benefit your business. A smart e-invoicing solution can help you:
- Get ready today for future e-invoicing laws – and react quickly once they occur
- Replace inefficient paper processes with automated billing and invoice processing
- Cut costs on printing, mailing, storage – and human work
- Reduce errors caused by manual data entry
- Get paid faster by customers and suppliers
- Support sustainability by reducing paper waste
In today’s fast-changing tax landscape, with many governments requiring e-invoicing as the only compliant way of billing, e-invoicing isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a new way of tax compliance. And a smart move for growth and efficiency at the same time.
But not all e-invoicing systems are the same. It’s important to choose a solution that meets your needs now and can grow with your business. Use this guide to learn the 10 key things to consider when selecting the right e-invoicing solution.
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Get a copy to save and print to easily see what you need to know when choosing your e-invoicing solution.
Download a copy to save and print
Get a copy to save and print to easily see what you need to know when choosing your e-invoicing solution.
Stay compliant globally with the right e-invoicing solution
If you conduct business in other countries, or plan to, your e-invoicing system must follow local rules. Tax laws can change quickly and over time, this might be a challenge — especially for international business. A good e-invoicing solution helps you stay compliant in every country where you operate — or plan to expand to.
Europe is an area of notable activity when it comes to e-invoicing mandates. Consider the following:
- Germany has been introducing mandatory e-invoicing for business-to-business (B2B) transactions and is phasing in B2B mandates through 2028
- Poland will make B2B e-invoicing mandatory in 2026
- France starts in 2026, with all businesses required to adopt e-invoicing by 2027
And e-invoicing impacts other parts of the world as well. Saudi Arabia has been rolling out e-invoicing in waves since 2023 while Australia and New Zealand are recommending use of Peppol — as a fast, secure, and efficient way of invoice delivery.
While e-invoicing isn’t mandatory in the U.K., the government is promoting its wider use and has launched a consultation on e-invoicing in Britain.
U.S. businesses operating in countries with e-invoicing requirements must comply with those mandates. And within the U.S., many businesses are voluntarily adopting e-invoicing via the Digital Business Networks Alliance (DBNA) to reap the benefits.
Futureproofing your business means being able to quickly adapt when countries pass new mandates. Choosing an e-invoicing solution that adjusts to new mandates will help to keep your finance systems in sync with changing legislation — taking the worry out of compliance.
Choose an e-invoicing solution that grows as your business grows
Whether you already do business internationally or plan to expand soon, switching systems later to comply with local e-invoicing rules can be costly and disruptive. Maintaining multiple IT systems is expensive and managing different invoicing tools for each market adds unnecessary complexity.
Look for a scalable e-invoicing solution — one that can handle invoices at peak times and support your global expansion. Make sure it works in the countries where you do business now — and can support others in the future.
Check if the system connects to global exchange networks like Peppol or DBNA in North America and confirm which country mandates are currently supported. Ask vendors about their future plans: Which additional countries will they support? Can the system handle upcoming rules or mandates — or would those require separate solutions?
Choosing a flexible, future-ready solution helps you stay compliant and grow without slowing down.
With a universal e-invoicing solution, integration should keep disruption to a minimum
Your e-invoicing solution should be easy to connect to your current systems without causing major disruptions.
Integrating separate tools for each country can get messy and expensive. It may also require extra support across time zones, which drains your resources.
A better way is to use a single API — and cover multiple mandates with one integration. It’s faster to set up, easier to maintain, and more cost-effective than juggling different tools.
Make sure your e-invoicing software works smoothly with systems you already use like accounting, ERP, CRM, or POS platforms. A solution that seamlessly integrates into your existing systems and operates silently in the background will let your staff continue work as usual and help your company stay compliant — without slowing down your operations.
An e-invoicing solution should be easy to implement into your business systems
Adding e-invoicing isn’t always plug-and-play. Often, your ERP software needs updates to meet country-specific tax rules. You may need to add new data fields and double-check existing information. If you don’t have an in-house IT team, a good vendor can guide you or connect you with outside help.
A strong e-invoicing provider should also offer clear documentation and support. Furthermore, it should provide prebuilt connectors to help speed up the integration efforts. If you don’t have developers on staff, a good vendor can recommend the right partners for your system.
Look for tools like setup wizards that help you pick the right settings for different countries. The right solution makes setup smoother and gets your team up and running faster.
Make sure your e-invoicing solution is secure
Security matters. Your e-invoicing system should meet national and global rules for cloud security.
Many countries have strict laws around where and how invoice data is stored. If your system doesn’t follow them, you could face fines or compliance issues.
For example:
- France requires SecNumCloud certification
- Saudi Arabia follows the Cloud First Policy
- The EU enforces General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for data privacy
Before choosing a provider, learn what’s required in the countries where you do business — and learn about certification such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II. Then, find an e-invoicing vendor that meets or exceeds those standards. If you can’t find the info online, ask the vendor directly.
Choose an e-invoicing solution with Peppol access
If your business sells internationally, look for an e-invoicing solution that connects to the Peppol network and the DBNA network in North America.
Such public exchange networks make it easy to send and receive e-invoices with other businesses and governments — even if you use different software. They use a common format so everything works smoothly across systems.
Peppol is used in 94 countries and by more than 500,000 businesses worldwide. It helps reduce complexity and improve security for cross-border invoicing.
While Peppol isn’t required in most places, it adds flexibility — especially if you’re growing globally. Just make sure your solution first meets any country-specific tax or hosting rules, then check if it includes certified Peppol access.
The DBNA serves a role in the U.S. and Canada similar to that of Peppol in Europe and other regions.
Both networks facilitate the secure and standardized exchange of e-invoices and other business documents among trading partners.
Track the status of every e-invoice
Delivering invoices to where they should go is a prerequisite for compliance — as well as for cash flow. Not delivering, missing, or losing an invoice can hurt your cash flow and delay payments. A good system helps you make sure the e-invoice fulfills all aspects of a compliant invoice and limits the risk of rejections by government platforms. It should also let you see the status of every e-invoice sent and received so you can act fast when there’s a problem.
With invoice content validation and clear tracking, it’s easier to spot and fix issues quickly and reduce delays.
Plus, as e-invoices can be processed automatically by computers, the lower risk of human mistakes can further reduce possible delays — and keep your payments on track.
Automate tax compliance with your e-invoicing solution
A great e-invoicing system doesn’t just send and receive e-invoices — it also helps you stay tax compliant.
In many countries, e-invoices go straight to tax authorities in real time. For tax reporting, this means that there’s little room for fixing mistakes in tax amounts later. With e-invoicing, the tax amounts must be accurate from the start.
Even in places where paper or PDF invoices are still allowed, some governments require you to report invoice details instantly. Make sure your system meets those live reporting rules to avoid issues.
Look for solutions that help you solve more than only e-invoice creation. The ideal solution:
- Applies highly accurate VAT and GST rates
- Supports cross-border fees and country-specific rules
- Reports invoice data in real time
- Helps prepare tax returns from your invoice data
Make sure invoices are readable by people
E-invoices are built for machines — but people still need to read them.
Your e-invoicing solution should create invoices in machine-readable formats but also offer a version that finance and tax teams can easily review, like a PDF.
Human-readable invoices help your team double-check data, spot errors, and stay in control. This extra visibility supports better decisions and more accurate records.
The best e-invoicing systems balance automation with human oversight to improve both speed and accuracy.
Your e-invoicing solution should come with strong, responsive support
When something goes wrong, you need help fast — not hours or days later. Choose a vendor that offers support based on your business size, global reach, and time zones.
If you operate in multiple countries, look for multi-language support. If your teams are spread across time zones, make sure help is available around the clock.
Also check how you can reach support. A phone number with limited hours isn’t always enough. The best providers offer multiple ways to get help like email, live chat, and online FAQs.
The right support keeps your invoicing system running smoothly and avoids costly delays.
Still searching for the right e-invoicing solution?
With so many choices out there, it’s normal to wonder how to find a solution that checks every box. That’s where Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting can help.
As e-invoicing laws expand across Europe and beyond, you need a solution that keeps up with global tax rules. Avalara makes it easier to stay compliant — now and as new mandates roll out.
Avalara solutions help you:
- Apply more accurate tax rates
- Send e-invoices securely
- Report data to tax authorities more timely, and in the right format
With Avalara handling compliance, your team can focus on what matters most — growing your business.
To find out more, contact us today.
Tax rates, rules, and regulations change frequently. Although we hope you’ll find this information helpful, this guide is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal or tax advice.
About Avalara
Avalara makes tax compliance faster, easier, more accurate, and more reliable for 43,000+ business and government customers in over 75 countries. Tax compliance automation software solutions from Avalara leverage 1,200+ signed partner integrations across leading ecommerce, ERP, and other billing systems to power tax calculations, document management, tax return filing, and tax content access. Visit avalara.com to improve your compliance journey.