The UAE chose Peppol, an international network for exchanging e-invoices, as the backbone of its e-invoicing mandate. Instead of every business connecting to the tax authority, invoices move between accredited providers, and the tax data is reported along the way. People call it the five-corner model.
The five corners
- You, the seller. Your system (Odoo or any ERP) creates the invoice.
- Your accredited provider. It checks the invoice against the UAE format, PINT AE, and sends it over Peppol.
- Your customer's accredited provider. It receives the invoice for your customer.
- Your customer. The invoice lands in their system as structured data.
- The Federal Tax Authority. The providers report the tax data of the invoice to the FTA.
What this means for you
- You need a provider, not a direct link to the FTA. Being on Peppol through any provider is not enough; it must be accredited for the UAE.
- Your data must be right at the source. The provider checks the invoice before it leaves. A missing required field stops it there.
- The PDF becomes a copy. You can still send one, but a PDF is not an e-invoice; where the mandate applies, the structured e-invoice is what counts.
- Incoming invoices change too. Your suppliers' invoices will reach you through your provider.
Who is in scope, and when
Invoices between businesses (B2B) and to government (B2G) are in scope; invoices to individual consumers are not part of the current phases. Businesses with revenue of AED 50M or more go live on 1 January 2027. Businesses below AED 50M appoint a provider by 31 March 2027 and go live on 1 July 2027. Government entities implement by 1 October 2027.
Getting ready
We connect your system to an accredited provider, fix your data, test and support you after go-live. Check your deadline, or read our other e-invoicing guides.
