E-Invoicing

Market developments

On all fronts there are ongoing developments to take electronic invoicing to the next level. In Europe some 30 billion invoices are sent out each year with a mere 5% being sent electronically. The European Commission has calculated that electronic invoicing could generate savings of 240 billion euros a year. McKinsey has also calculated yearly savings of approx 100 billion euros, based on a research in 2008. This is why the European Commission has taken the initiative to remove obstacles so that eventually all 30 billion invoices will be sent electronically.

Several initiatives are also being taken in the Netherlands. State secretary Heemskerk (Economic Affairs) recently launched the Electronic Invoicing action plan. It is estimated that electronic invoicing can lead to annual savings of over 600 million euros in the Netherlands. Heemskerk considers that far more needs to be done in the field of electronic invoicing and wants to more actively draw attention to the advantages of e-invoicing. Planned initiatives include a website to provide entrepreneurs with clear information about, for example, VAT regulations and digital signatures.
As a recipient of invoices the government is setting the right example by encouraging organisations to send their invoices electronically. This initiative is intended to result in the government receiving 3.6 million electronic invoices in 2010, equal to 10% of all invoices. In other words, efforts to remove obstacles are also underway in the Netherlands.  (Dutch version)