For trade with the public sector or with any governmental body in Norway, businesses are required to send invoices in the EHF or Elektronisk Handelsformat format. Invoices in this standardized format and template can be prepared by companies themselves, or companies can approach access point providers for sending and receiving invoices. Not adhering to this format for B2G trade can have various repercussions for businesses (Microsoft, “EHF ELECTRONIC INVOICING IN NORWAY”, n.d.). Where trade with other businesses and private entities is concerned, however, companies could in theory use invoices that do not follow the EHF template and modes of operation. Either way, having a basic understanding of the elements that are a necessary part of a standardized faktura mal can be beneficial to businesses. The following are some basic factors that have to be kept in mind when preparing invoices:
Name
The document should very clearly carry the complete legally registered name of the company issuing the invoice, as well as the entity the invoice is being issued to. It must also be stated on the document that it is an invoice, making it a financial and legal record. Addresses and contact details must be included as well.
Date
The date on which the invoice was prepared and issued should be specified on the invoice in a standard format. The date on which the products and services were availed by the client must also be mentioned on the invoice, as well as the date by which payment is expected.
UIN
A UIN is a Unique Identification Number. Every invoice must carry this number, which helps businesses single out a particular invoice from the rest as and when needed. With faktura automatisering, businesses can easily keep archives of all invoices based on UINs and other product, service and client details.
Description
The invoice must describe the complete names and respective charges of the products and services for which it was issued. It would be better to not use acronyms or short-forms of item codes and names which might be understood by the employees of a particular company but not universally by everyone.
Amount
If many items are billed on one invoice, the price of each item must be indicated against it on the invoice. The invoice must also include details of any taxes as applicable. The total amount due must be mentioned clearly, both in numerals and words.
Even for conducting business with private entities, setting up an automated invoicing can be very beneficial to companies. With automation, invoice templates would be standardized and all the above mentioned details could be easily cross-referenced digitally. Invoices would also be archived automatically. A company that provides automated fakturatjeneste for other businesses in Norway is Basware. More information on standardized templates for invoices can be found through their website.
