VAT accounting and invoices

This page gives you an overview of the obligations of taxable persons and taxable persons with limited liability in keeping records and issuing invoices and simplified invoices.

The obligations of a person liable to value added tax upon keeping records and issuing invoices are regulated by §§ 36 and 37 of the Value Added Tax Act (VAT Act) and by the Regulation of the Minister of Finance “Procedure for keeping daily records of value added tax by a taxable person”.


Handbook “VAT accounting and invoices”

Obligations of taxable persons with limited liability

A taxable person with limited liability has the following obligations (Value-Added Tax Act, § 36 (3)):

  • preserve copies of invoices for goods acquired or services received specified in clauses 3 (4) 2)-5) of the Value-Added Tax Act in chronological order for 7 years as of the date of their issue or receipt. The information set out in an invoice shall be preserved in its original form. 
    A taxable person with limited liability may choose the place at which invoices are preserved and the manner thereof on the condition that the person makes the invoices or information preserved therein immediately (within a reasonable time period) available at the request of the tax authority and in the case the amount of value added tax calculated on transaction or procedure set out in the invoice is subject to payment in another Member State also at the request of a competent authority of another Member State (Value-Added Tax Act, § 36 (4));
  • pursuant to the procedure established by a regulation of the Minister of Finance, maintain daily records of value added tax calculated on the taxable value of received services and imported or acquired goods specified in clauses 1 (1) 2) and 5) or clauses 3 (4) 2)-5) of the Value-Added Tax Act;
  • keep records of goods dispatched or delivered to another Member State by or on behalf of the taxable person, provided that such goods are not treated as intra-Community acquisition of goods pursuant to subsection 7 (2) of the Value-Added Tax Act;
  • keep records of movables specified in clause 8 (3) 3) of the Value-Added Tax Act and delivered to the taxable person to Estonia from another Member State with an accuracy which enables the movables to be identified.

Last updated on 08.01.2025

Last updated: 31.03.2026

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