What the AEAT’s free invoicing app is
It is a service on the Spanish Tax Agency’s online portal (Sede electrónica) that lets you create invoices and send the invoicing records directly to the AEAT, in compliance with the regulation on computerised invoicing systems (Real Decreto 1007/2023). You use it in your browser, without installing anything.
The AEAT aims it “mainly at professionals, self-employed people and businesses with low invoicing volumes that do not have their own software or prefer a free alternative”. Its manual refers to those who issue “a small number of invoices a year” or have a “relatively simple” invoicing process.
What it allows, according to the AEAT
- Issuing ordinary invoices (F1), corrective invoices (R1, R2, R3 or R4) and invoices replacing simplified invoices (F3).
- Including the QR code on the PDF invoice and sending the invoicing record to the AEAT at the moment of issue.
- Cancelling and correcting invoices, generating corrective invoices and checking the QR code from the invoice list.
- Managing customers, products and series numbers.
- No limit on invoices: “not annual, not monthly, not weekly”.
To log in, you identify yourself with Cl@ve Móvil, an electronic certificate or an electronic ID card (DNI electrónico). You invoice in your own name or as a representative with the IZ862 and IZ863 powers of representation (or a general power of representation).
What the AEAT says it does not allow
- Simplified invoices (receipts): “it is not possible to issue simplified invoices”. Every invoice needs an identified recipient.
- Some IVA schemes: it does not accept invoices with IVA scheme codes 03, 05, 06 and 09.
- Multiple recipients on a single invoice.
- Taking your records to another program: they cannot be exported to continue invoicing in another system.
- Formats: the invoice can only be downloaded as a PDF.
The AEAT’s documentation describes issuing invoices and managing customers, products and series. It does not describe quotes, delivery notes, expense tracking, payment collection or point of sale: it is a tool for issuing invoices, not business management software.
When the AEAT app is enough for you
If you are self-employed or a professional, issue few invoices, always to identified customers, under the general IVA scheme, and don’t need quotes or to track your expenses in the same tool, the free app does the job and costs you nothing. It is a legitimate, official option.
When invoicing software is worth it
You sell over the counter
If you take payment with receipts (simplified invoices), the AEAT app does not issue them. A POS with invoicing does.
You make quotes and delivery notes
Quote, delivery note and invoice linked together: you turn one into the next without retyping the details.
You want to keep track of expenses
You scan the supplier invoice and the software fills in the expense. Take a look at the expense invoice reader.
You work with an accounting firm
Your accountant sees your invoices and taxes from their own portal, with the access you authorise. More in zBilling for accounting firms.
There are several of you
Users with permissions for your team, instead of a single personal login.
You want to be able to switch software
The AEAT says its records cannot be exported to another system. Think from the start about where you want to invoice in the long term.
Comparison: the AEAT app and zBilling
| The AEAT’s free app | zBilling | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | €10, €20 or €30/month including IVA (€8.33/month on the Plan Básico paid annually). 20-day trial, no card needed. |
| Full and corrective invoices | Yes | Yes, with reason codes R1–R5 |
| Simplified invoices (receipts) | No | Yes, also from the POS |
| Recording and submission to the AEAT | Yes | Yes, with your digital certificate and a test environment beforehand |
| QR code on the invoice | Yes | Yes |
| Quotes, pro formas and delivery notes | Not described by the AEAT | Yes, convertible into an invoice |
| Expenses and supplier invoice scanning | Not described by the AEAT | Yes (5, 50 or 250 automatic scans a month depending on plan) |
| Access for your accounting firm | Through a power of representation registered with the AEAT | Accountant’s portal with the access you authorise |
| Users | Account holder or authorised representative | 1, 3 or 5 users depending on plan |
| Download formats | PDF, XML of each record and Facturae for public authorities |
The limits of each zBilling plan (customers, products, automatic scans) are shown in the pricing table.
How to choose in five questions
- Do you issue receipts or simplified invoices? If the answer is yes, you need invoicing software.
- How many invoices do you issue a month, and to how many customers?
- Do you need quotes, delivery notes or stock control?
- Do you want to record your expenses and have the quarter’s IVA at hand?
- Do you work with an accounting firm that needs to see your data?
If all your answers point to “a few invoices and nothing else”, start with the AEAT app. If not, try invoicing software before the deadline arrives. Check the dates in Verifactu postponed to 2028.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AEAT app comply with Verifactu?
Yes. It is the Spanish Tax Agency’s own system for issuing verifiable invoices: it generates the QR code and sends the invoicing record to the AEAT at the moment of issue.
Is there a limit on invoices?
No. The AEAT says there is no limit on invoices, whether annual, monthly or weekly.
Can I issue receipts with the AEAT app?
No. According to the AEAT, it is not possible to issue simplified invoices: every invoice needs a recipient.
Can I start with the AEAT app and switch to invoicing software later?
You can start invoicing with another program at any time, but the AEAT says the records in its app cannot be exported to continue invoicing in another system.
Does zBilling send invoices to the AEAT?
Yes. zBilling generates the record for every invoice and receipt issued, with its chained hash and QR code, and sends it to the AEAT with your digital certificate. You can test the connection first in the AEAT’s test environment.
Official sources
The information about the AEAT app comes from its technical help and user manual, consulted on the review date. The AEAT may extend its features: always check its online portal.