OB10 is an active member of the UK e-Invoicing Advocacy Group (www.ukeag.org.uk/), a group established to champion the spread of e-Invoicing in the UK.
In time we expect this group to form the basis of the UK National Forum for e-Invoicing, encouraged and anticipated by recent policy measures taken by the European Commission. E-Invoicing is regarded as a key initiative to promote the Single Market and the Digital Agenda.
The Commission and Member States are taking action to Simplify VAT regulations on the basis of equal treatment of paper and electronic invoices, to promote standards and encourage adoption especially of SME’s. A European Stakeholder Forum is being created and Member States are forming National Forums to feed into that process; Germany and the Nordic countries are taking the lead. There is wide recognition of the massive efficiency, cost-saving and customer satisfaction benefits that come from e-Invoicing and supply chain automation.
We need UK government involvement in the creation of our UK National Forum and its ongoing participation. The National Forum will bring together many enthusiasts and practitioners and will need to expand to include all stakeholders including the public sector.
Following the transfer of responsibilities for the EU Digital Agenda from the Department of Business Innovation and Skills to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, there is something of a temporary hiatus in identifying the place in government where this important issue is coordinated. In addition to DCMS and BIS, the Cabinet Office and the Office of Government Commerce also have a keen interest especially bearing in mind the streamlining of public procurement.
We are hoping that this issue will be resolved soon so that the National Forum can operate as a public-private body and build on the momentum we have already created in UKEAG – with the creation of case studies, contact with politicians, community groups and business people, organising promotional events and creating links with European and other e-Invoicing communities.
Filed under: e-Invoicing and Tax regulations, News, Uncategorized
Stephan- You are doing a valiant effort to promote e-invoicing. Keep up the great job and good luck on your efforts there in Europe!
This is great. I like that you are completely involved in all of this. I think the forum will do a lot of good for this and bring it all together. Great job.