EN 16931 e dati strutturati delle fatture: cosa significa per la contabilità
EN 16931 è uno standard UE sui dati strutturati delle fatture elettroniche. Definisce quali informazioni deve contenere una fattura elettronica. In questo articolo vediamo cosa significa per la contabilità e come ne ben…
EN 16931 is an EU standard for the structured data of e-invoices. It defines what information an electronic invoice must contain. In questo articolo analizziamo what the standard means from an contabilità perspective and how a small business benefits from structured data.
Structured data vs. PDF - why does it matter?
A PDF invoice is a human-readable image. A structured invoice (e.g., Finvoice, Peppol BIS) is machine-readable data. The difference is significant for contabilità:
| Ominaisuus | PDF-lasku | Rakenteinen lasku |
|---|---|---|
| Tiliöinti | Manuaalinen tai OCR (virhealtis) | Automaattinen sääntöjen perusteella |
| ALV-käsittely | Tarkistettava käsin | ALV-koodit mukana datassa |
| Arkistointi | Erillinen tallennus | Integroituu suoraan kirjanpitoon |
| Hakeminen | Hankala | Helppo (hakukentät) |
| Virheet | Yleisiä (näppäilyvirheet) | Harvinaisia (data siirtyy suoraan) |
The purpose of the EN 16931 standard
EN 16931 is a European standard that defines the minimum content of an e-invoice. It originated from EU Directive 2014/55/EU and is mandatory for public sector invoicing.
The standard defines, for example:
- Mandatory data fields (seller, buyer, invoice amount, VAT breakdown)
- Structure of invoice lines
- VAT categories and codes
- Presentation of payment terms
- Handling of attachments
Leggi di più about fatturazione elettronica legislation in our fatturazione elettronica article.
Benefits in contabilità
When invoice data is in a structured format, contabilità benefits significantly:
- Automatic contabilità entry: the system can allocate the invoice line to the correct contabilità account
- VAT calculation automates: VAT codes transfer directly from the invoice data
- Reconciliation speeds up: payments are automatically allocated to invoices
- Reporting improves: reports can be generated directly from structured data
- Reduction of errors: no manual data entry
Preparation in a small business
- Ensure that your software di fatturazione produces EN 16931-compliant e-invoices
- Implement financial management software that can receive and account for structured invoices (e.g., Eemel Accounting)
- Request e-invoices from your suppliers instead of PDF invoices
- Activate automatic contabilità entries and VAT rules
- Utilize structured data in reporting
Leggi di più about the impact of GDPR on financial management in our GDPR article.
Practical example: construction company and purchase invoice processing
A small construction company previously received fatture di acquisto as PDFs via email. The accountant manually entered each invoice into the contabilità system. Typically, the processing time was 5–10 minutes per invoice.
Transition to receiving structured e-invoices with Eemel Accounting:
- Le fatture passive arrivano direttamente nel software come dati strutturati
- Automatic contabilità entry allocates the invoice to the correct account
- Processing time dropped from 5 minutes to less than 1 minute per invoice
- The processing of monthly invoices accelerated by approximately 4 hours in total
Try it in practice
Eemel Accounting automatically receives and accounts for structured e-invoices. Contabilità becomes more efficient.
Start for freeFrequently asked questions
Is EN 16931 mandatory for small businesses?
Yes, for public sector invoicing. In the settore privato, it is a strong recommendation and practically the standard for fatturazione elettronica.
Does Eemel Accounting support the EN 16931 standard?
Yes. Eemel supports Finvoice and Peppol BIS formats, which are EN 16931 compliant.
How does structured data reduce errors?
Data transfers directly from one system to another without manual data entry. Data entry errors and incorrect contabilità entries are significantly reduced.
Can PDF invoices be converted into structured ones?
OCR technology can read PDF invoices, but the result is prone to errors. A better solution is to ask suppliers for e-invoices directly.
How is ViDA related to EN 16931?
ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) requires structured invoice data. EN 16931 is the standard on which ViDA’s requirements are based.
This article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice.