Publication
eInvoicing compliance deadline 2020
From Office of Government Procurement
Published on
Last updated on
From Office of Government Procurement
Published on
Last updated on
A key enabler to reaching compliance with the European Directive 2014/55/EU on eInvoicing for public sector bodies in Ireland is the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) eInvoicing and Peppol Framework, offering access to a wide range of compliant eInvoicing services and solutions.
One response to the current global pandemic, to support distributed and remote working, has been to seek services and solutions which can better digitise how we transact our business –eInvoicing is one such way and can be facilitated through the OGP’s eInvoicing Framework.
Indeed, the eInvoicing Ireland team have experienced an increased interest from some public bodies in eInvoicing implementation, including integrated approaches to eInvoicing which automate the invoice data straight into the back office financial management systems, as a response to the current pandemic situation.
Reflecting on how digital, as an enabler, has come to the fore in recent times, Declan McCormack, eInvoicing Ireland’s Programme Manager notes;
‘The global response to the current pandemic crisis has given us all new insights into what we are capable of and what is possible. From small and large organisations moving quickly to remote working arrangements and systems, to educational institutes mobilising courses to be delivered completely online and to the rapid development of online systems to support the national response. There are many other examples of how public bodies, businesses and citizens have demonstrated an agility and capability to leverage existing digital tools to help us adapt and continue to deliver our services and function. Public bodies establishing and leveraging an eInvoicing capability, in response to the eInvoicing Directive, is very much in that mix. Furthermore, by digitising invoice receipt and workflow processes, public bodies have been better able to ensure the continued flow of payments to suppliers and help the economy.’
The OGP quickly transitioned all staff to a distributed working model to support vital sourcing needed for the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as continuing to service OGP customers and stakeholders. The eInvoicing Ireland and the eInvoicing Framework teams are continuing to support public bodies in accessing the services and solutions they need to reach compliance with the eInvoicing Directive for the deadline.
The eInvoicing Ireland team are also reminding Central Government bodies who met last year’s eInvoicing deadline through Lot 1 on the Framework to consider whether the NASF they completed was for 12 months. If so, that NASF will expire this year and will need to be extended by filling out and submitting a new NASF through the Framework.
The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has served to emphasize the importance of interconnecting Europe’s digital ecosystem, and the European Commission remains committed to supporting Member States at this time. The eInvoicing Ireland team are conscious that the current situation may have had an impact on the capacity of some organisations to implement eInvoicing in time for the eInvoicing Directive deadline. McCormack explained
‘The European Commission appreciate the different challenges being experienced at this time across a diverse European landscape and we are working to keep the Commission informed of the evolving situation in Ireland. We also continue to work with our sector partners in Central and Local Government, Health and Education to track eInvoicing implementation progress in Ireland and to ensure that supplier eInvoicing experience is consistent across the whole of government.’
As the deadline approaches, the presentations from the eInvoicing Implementation event in February 2020 provide a comprehensive introduction to and recap on eInvoicing implementation and are available on the OGP You Tube Channel, at this link
Also accessible from the OGP You Tube Channel is a video guide to filling out the NASF to engage with service providers on the OGP eInvoicing and Peppol Framework.
The suite of information materials the eInvoicing Ireland team have created to support public bodies in reaching compliance with the eInvoicing Directive including the eInvoicing Implementation pyramid, the eInvoicing factsheets, and implementation preparatory worksheets are all available from the eInvoicing Ireland webpage
For further information log onto eInvoicing Ireland or contact: einvoicing@ogp.gov.ie
For anyone looking to access the OGP eInvoicing Framework, please log on here and the Buyer zone and select/ search as follows:
Category: Managed Services
Keyword: ‘PEPPOL’ or ‘eInvoicing systems’
OGP Clients must register to gain access to the Buyer zone available to all public service buyers accessing live contracts/frameworks.