Egypt compliance
ETA e-invoicing — how AION does it
Every B2B invoice in the Egypt BG generates the ETA-formatted document with serial numbering, tax breakdown, and structured line items. Portal handoff is configurable. Live in the Nile Foods demo right now.
What ETA e-invoicing actually requires
The mandate, in plain terms — what every Egyptian F&B factory must do.
The Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) e-invoicing platform launched in November 2020 and rolled out in waves through 2023. Every B2B taxpayer must submit invoices through the ETA portal in a defined structured format, with a serial number registered to the issuer. The mandate now also covers e-receipts (B2C) for many taxpayer categories.
Every compliant ETA e-invoice carries:
- Structured JSON / XML payload — line items with item codes registered in the ETA item catalog, prices, tax breakdowns
- Internal ID (serial number) — sequential, unique per issuer, tracked across the entire lifetime of the business
- Document type code — invoice, credit note, debit note each with its own type identifier
- Egyptian VAT line at 14% — most goods; some items are zero-rated or exempt and the platform validates per item
- WHT (withholding tax) details — where applicable, especially on service invoices
- Buyer tax registration (or national ID for B2C) — the receiving party must be identified per ETA's rules
Submitted invoices receive a UUID from ETA upon successful clearance. This UUID is embedded in the final invoice and must be traceable back to the source document. Late or malformed submissions trigger penalties that escalate quickly.
What AION generates — line by line
The capabilities below are live in the Nile Foods demo. Log in as cfo.egypt and inspect any sales invoice.
ETA-formatted JSON payload — generated on post
When a Nile Foods clerk posts a sales invoice, the SLA engine builds the ETA payload alongside the GL journal. Item codes map to your registered ETA catalog; tax lines compute at 14% standard or 0% / exempt where the item is classified that way.
Serial numbering — guaranteed unique
Internal IDs are generated atomically per issuer. No gaps, no duplicates. The serial sequence is preserved through credits, debits, and document corrections.
WHT 5% on service invoices
When a service supplier invoices Nile Foods, WHT is auto-deducted from the gross at invoice entry. The 5% is posted to the WHT liability account; the monthly WHT remittance report aggregates by tax authority and tax type.
ETA portal handoff — configurable
AION generates the ETA-compliant document and submits via your configured channel. You can use the direct ETA portal integration, or work through a registered clearance partner. We don't lock you into a specific provider.
Credit notes, debit notes, corrections
Each reference document (credit / debit / correction) generates the matching ETA document type with the original invoice's UUID. ETA validates the chain on submission.
Bilingual Arabic / English content
Invoice descriptions and line items render in either language at the recipient level. The ETA payload itself uses the Arabic representation that the platform expects; the buyer-facing PDF can be in English for international customers.
What going live actually looks like
Honest expectations for an Egyptian F&B factory implementing AION + ETA.
Typical implementation path:
- ETA portal registration confirmed. You need an active ETA account and your item catalog mapped to ETA's codes. This is on you, not the ERP.
- Item code mapping. Each of your factory's items (raw materials, packaging, finished goods) must map to an ETA item code. AION supports bulk mapping during data load.
- Channel selection. Decide between direct ETA portal integration or a registered clearance partner. AION supports both — integration templates exist for common partners.
- Sandbox validation. Issue 30–50 test invoices against the ETA sandbox. Validate clearance UUIDs come back, verify item code resolution, confirm tax line computation.
- Production cutover. Switch endpoint to production. Nile Foods demo BG is configured this exact way — inspect every setting.
Realistic timeline: 7–14 business days if your ETA registration is active and your item catalog is mapped. The item-code mapping step is typically the longest — a 200-SKU factory takes 1–2 days to map.
ETA + AION — common questions
Does AION integrate directly with ETA, or do we need a clearance partner?
Both options are supported. Larger Egyptian businesses often integrate directly. SMBs typically work through a clearance partner that handles the technical submission. AION generates the same payload either way — the difference is the transport channel.
What if ETA rejects an invoice — how does AION surface that?
The rejection code and reason appear on the invoice screen. Common causes (missing item code mapping, invalid buyer tax number, line total mismatch) are clearly identified. You correct and resubmit — AION handles the retry flow without re-generating the serial number.
How does AION handle the ETA item catalog?
Each item record carries an ETA item code field. Bulk update tools let you import the mapping from a spreadsheet during setup. When ETA adds new categories or revises classifications, you update the item codes; existing invoices retain their original codes for audit.
What about e-receipts for B2C in F&B factories?
ETA's e-receipt mandate applies more to retail outlets than factory direct sales. If your factory does have direct-to-consumer sales (employee shop, factory outlet), AION supports the e-receipt document type alongside e-invoicing. Configuration per sales channel.
Does AION handle the monthly VAT return for ETA?
Yes. The VAT return (Form 10) is generated from the same data that powers e-invoicing. Both VAT input (purchases) and VAT output (sales) aggregate into the form automatically. WHT remittance is a separate report on the same data foundation.
What happens to historical invoices when we migrate to AION?
Historical invoices from your prior system retain their original ETA submissions and UUIDs. AION's serial sequence begins fresh from go-live. ETA accepts this transition — the audit trail is preserved on both sides.
See ETA e-invoicing in the live demo
Log into the Nile Foods BG as cfo.egypt, open any sales invoice, and inspect the ETA payload, serial number, and submission trail.