What a VAT invoice must show in Cyprus: a checklist

Once your business is registered for VAT, every invoice you send to another business has to carry certain details. They are set out in the Cyprus VAT law, and a missing one can mean your customer cannot reclaim the VAT, which is a quick way to get an invoice sent back.

Here is the checklist.

The details every VAT invoice needs

• Date of issue.
• A unique, sequential invoice number. Numbers run in one series without gaps, so every invoice can be traced.
• Your details: full name or company name, address and VAT number.
• Your customer's details: name and address, and their VAT number where it is required (for example when you sell to a business in another EU country).
• What you supplied: a description of the goods or services, with quantities.
• The date of supply, if it is different from the invoice date.
• The amount before VAT for each rate, the unit price and any discounts not already included.
• The VAT rate that applies to each line and the VAT amount per rate.
• The total, including VAT.
• Special wording where it applies, for example "reverse charge" when the customer accounts for the VAT, or the reason when a supply is exempt.

The ones people forget

In practice, the invoices that come back usually miss one of these:

1. The customer's VAT number on sales to EU businesses.
2. VAT shown per rate when an invoice mixes 19% items with items at a reduced rate.
3. A number series that skips or repeats, often after switching from one template or program to another.
4. The "reverse charge" note on cross-border services.

Credit notes, not edits

Once an invoice has been sent, don't change it or delete it. If something is wrong, issue a credit note against it and, if needed, a new invoice. The original stays in your records, which is what the law and your accountant expect. See credit notes in the help centre.

How long to keep invoices

Keep your invoices and the rest of your business records for at least six years. Some records may need to be kept longer, for example while an audit is open, so ask your accountant what applies to your business. Digital copies are fine as long as they are complete and readable.

Let the invoice template do the work

A proper invoice template takes care of most of this checklist for you: your details and VAT number print on every invoice, numbers follow one series, VAT is calculated per line and shown per rate. In ToLogistiko you set your company details once and every invoice carries them. See how invoicing works.