SIF (Computer Billing System) OR NOT SIF, THAT’S THE QUESTION
In this article we are going to explain what Hacienda has called SIF, billing computer system (not to be confused with CIF) tax identification code .
Many self-employed and owners of companies are concerned about the issue of the new billing regulations. We are knowing more and more and here we put the new news that are coming to us.
What is a SIF?
Billing computer system
The SIF or billing computer system is the billing program of a lifetime and we do not understand how the treasury has called it SIF with S, which can lead to confusion with the well-known CIF.
We’ll have to adapt, we have no other choice.
The new regulations establish that companies that use a billing program or SIF will be obliged to use an approved program from 2026.
According to the latest news, if you use a billing program to issue your invoices, you will be obliged to approve your billing program or now called SIF
Characteristics of a SIF
To know if you as a self-employed person or your company needs to update your billing computer system (FIS) according to the requirements enforcible from 2026, you must first know what a SIF consists of.
A SIF is a computer program or set of hardware and software that is used to issue invoices that meets the following requirements
- Data entry . It allows data entry for billing by any method.
- Information preservation. It allows you to keep such billing information, either by storing it in the SIF itself, or by leaving it on a physical medium or through the telematic referral to another computer system (be it or not it is billing).
- Processing. And, finally, it allows the processing of billing information to produce other derived results, either in the SIF itself or in another computer system.
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Only companies or self-employed that use a SIF will be obliged to adapt to the new regulations
Well, you as self-employed or your company must only adapt to the new rules if when issuing your invoices it uses a system that fulfils the characteristics to be considered a SIF.
Otherwise, it will not be affected by the new obligations applicable from next year. See some cases in which it is considered that a SIF is not available.
This is not a SIF
What happens if I check in by hand?
Manual invoicing
First of all, it is not considered that SIF exists if an individual entrepreneur or a company issues its invoices exclusively manually (for example, handwritten invoices on blank paper, invoices on pre-printed paper, invoices made with a typewriter – in checkbooks for this purpose, which can be purchased in stationery stores).
Tools
Likewise, if a company generates its invoices through spreadsheets or word processors, it is also not considered to have a SIF, unless these tools include data processing and conservation utilities.
It will not be considered that you have SIF, therefore, if you use these tools to enter the data of the invoices, issue them and print them and keep the billing information but not to directly generate the VAT register books, the accounting or any other result with which you must comply with your tax obligations.
If you make your invoices by hand or use an Excel sheet or a Word, you will not be obliged to use a billing program.
In the event that you use a spreadsheet to generate simple lists of issued invoices, including sums or other calculation rules, the new requirements will not affect you.
Be careful, but it does use that excel to program complex macros to issue lists of invoices issued or issued that excel sheet if it will be considered a CIF and therefore must comply with the new technical requirements of the CIF.
These complex Excel sheets, we understand that they can only be issued by a normal and current billing program, which is logically a SIF.
Verifactu
In any case, if you prefer not to take risks and start issuing your invoices through an authorised SIF, know that the Treasury will make available on its website a free SIF to be able to issue invoices according to the new requirements.
Of course: keep in mind that this SIF will be of the Verifactu (or verifiable) type, so when entering the data it will send the invoice records to the Treasury automatically.
In summary
If your company issues your invoices by hand or through a spreadsheet or a word processor that does not include data processing and retention utilities, it will be considered that you do not have a SIF and, therefore, you can continue as before.
