SAF-T: A New Era for Accounting, Tax and VAT

Scope
The SAF-T reporting standard is based on OECD’s XML based standard and includes monthly submission of:

• All postings (General ledger, Customers, Suppliers, etc.)
• Accounts Receivable (Balances, master data, etc.)
• Accounts Payable (Balances, master data, etc.)

Additionally, it is required to use standardized VAT codes, a standardized chart of accounts and to provide detailed invoice information.
Information about assets is planned to be provided annually, while information about inventories should be kept and provided on demand.

SAF-T will only be requested for accounting periods starting after the implementation date, i.e. expected as of 1 January 2026.

Impact on your business 
The introduction of SAF-T will be phased during several years starting with large enterprises as obliged entities to medium and small enterprises and ending with micro enterprises. SAF-T will affect how your business communicates with the tax authorities.When performing tax checks and audits, the tax authorities will be able to perform data analyses on an unprecedented level. An XML-based transmission of data allows the appliance of sophisticated and pre-defined controls for testing, thus increasing the probability of detecting misstatements. For instance, through these analyses the tax authorities could identify misstated VAT entries within a few minutes. 

Response:
We recommend that businesses begin the process of:

• Understanding to what extent your business is ready to file of accounting data to the tax authorities in the SAF-T format. Our experience is that companies with accounting data spread across several source systems (e.g. separate invoicing systems), customized chart of accounts, complex VAT treatment, and uncertainty about the quality of transactional and master data, will face the greatest challenges.
• Determine necessary actions to ensure SAF-T compliance. Consider alternatives and design a project plan. The implementation project should consider the impact on your company’s processes, organization and systems.
• Considering whether the current internal controls can identify errors before submitting the SAF-T data to the tax authorities. SAF-T provides the tax authorities with access to significantly more of the organization’s accounting information. Depending on the nature of your business, it could be relevant to introduce data analytics software.

Deloitte has experts specialized in SAF-T implementation and reporting available to assist your organization with ensuring compliance. We also have developed a range of offerings designed to meet various clients’ complexity and needs.

What we can offer
SAF-T Readiness Workshop

What you get
An understanding of the challenges to become SAF-T compliant including potential actions and solutions. The findings will be summarized in a report. The SAF-T Readiness Workshop focuses on potential systems, process, and organizational challenges.

The Deloitte Approach

• High-level review of documentation (e.g. systems architecture descriptions, VAT coding, etc.)
• One workshop with key persons to identify and discuss potential challenges and solutions; and
• The preparation of a report outlining the challenges and a step plan providing overview of next steps.

Investment

• Participation in one workshop.
•  ~ 20 – 30 hours for preparation, workshop participation and follow-up report

SAF-T Data Mapping Assistance

What you get
Data analysis and mapping of the information that you can extract from your systems in accordance with the SAF-T schema. Based on the issues identified during the SAF-T readiness workshop and your needs, Deloitte prepares data mapping files using systems’ table fields to SAF-T structure and tables (mapping of charts of accounts, tax codes, tax treatments, etc.).

The Deloitte Approach

• Review of documentation (e.g. systems architecture descriptions, VAT coding, etc.)
•  1-4 workshop with key persons to define key aspects to ensure compliance with SAF-T reporting; and
• Preparation of data mapping files.

Investment

• Participation in 1-4 workshops.
• ~ 30 – 200 hours depending on complexity and scope

SAF-T Reporting Services & taxCube^TM SAF-T

What you get

SAF-T compliance with Deloitte as a service provider

The Deloitte Approach

Deloitte, as an outsourced service provider, will prepare and report the SAF-T XML on behalf of your company.
Our dedicated team will use Deloitte’s proprietary taxCube^TM SAF-T to collect, combine, prepare and file the SAF-T XML. Deloitte also provides support to any SAF-T based audits and helps analyzing the SAF-T report. Our customers may also license the taxCube^TM SAF-T for use by their internal operations teams. For a license fee, Deloitte will ensure that the solution is maintained and compliant with the current SAF-T requirements.

Investment

• Setup and integration
•  Service and user fees