- In September 2020, the General Directorate of Taxes published the technical specifications that all fiscalization software must meet, based on the international standard UN/CEFACT and ISO/IEC 19845:2015 (UBL 2.1).
- These specifications are essentially the responsibility of software development companies, not of the businesses that use it, but they determine why a piece of software is considered “certified” rather than simply installed.
- The standard is aligned with the European Directive 2014/55 on electronic invoicing, which means that the Albanian invoice can communicate in the same format with other European systems.
- For businesses, this is practically recognized in the list of certified software and in the checks carried out during certification, not in the technical specification itself.
On September 18, 2020, the General Directorate of Taxes announced the publication of the technical specifications for the electronic invoice, documents that describe exactly how an invoice must be structured in electronic format, according to the XML scheme of the UN/CEFACT Cross-Industry Invoice standard and the ISO/IEC 19845:2015 (UBL 2.1). The notice was addressed to information technology companies that develop fiscalization software, not to the businesses that use it.
From our daily work we see that most businesses don't need to know this technical specification, but they often ask what it actually means when software is called “certified” and why some software works better than others with the fiscalization system.
What did the 2020 specifications specify?
A common format, not free for interpretation
The specifications published in 2020 precisely defined the data structure that every electronic invoice must contain, from the seller's and buyer's names to the VAT components and the final total, in XML format. This ensures that any fiscalization software, no matter how different the program, produces invoices that the central tax system can read and verify in the same way.
Why were international standards chosen instead of a special Albanian format?
Albania chose to build its fiscalization system on standards already used in the European Union, in accordance with Directive 2014/55 on electronic invoicing. This choice was not merely technical but also practical, as it allows Albanian invoices to be readable by similar European systems, which facilitates trade and future integration.
Every time there is a tax or financial change that affects your business, we notify you directly by email with a practical explanation.
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The link to software certification
These technical specifications are precisely the basis on which a joint commission verifies and certifies fiscalization software producers, as we have explained in Certification of fiscalization software and to Application for certification. When you choose tax software, the fact that it's certified means it has passed this technical inspection, ensuring it not only meets your everyday needs.
How we handle this with our clients
When we advise a client on choosing fiscalization software, we don't delve into the technical specifications, but we verify that the proposed software appears on the list of certified solutions, precisely because this certification guarantees compliance with the standards described here.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know this technical specification as a business?
Not in detail. It's addressed to companies that develop tax compliance software. All you need to know is that your software is certified.
What does “certified software” actually mean?
It means that the manufacturer has passed a check verifying compliance with the official technical specifications, including the electronic invoice structure standards described above.
Where can I find more information about fiscalization and invoicing?
You have an updated summary at Invoicing and billing.
