Invoice and Tax Invoice: How to Fill Them Out to Keep the Tax Office Happy

In short: an invoice is needed by the client for payment, while a tax invoice is needed by the tax office to record the transaction. Sometimes these documents are interchangeable, but there are important nuances.

And no, you can't just send your card number to the client 😔 The tax office loves documents.

👉 If you want to skip the theory — download the invoice template and figure it out as you go. If you want to understand — read on.

Content

What is an invoice
- Invoice formatting in Armenia
What is a tax invoice
What is the difference between an invoice and a tax invoice
When to create an invoice and a tax invoice?
- An example of how it works in EasyTaxes
Deadlines you cannot miss
For settlements in foreign currency
Common mistakes — based on real events
Frequently Asked Questions
Invoice templates

This article is based on the requirements and experience of working with the tax service and banks of Armenia.

What is an invoice

An invoice, or "bill for payment" — is a document that you send to your client. The main task of an invoice: to explain to the client who, for what, and how much they must pay.

If you work with a foreign customer, the invoice becomes the main document for payment. The bank or the tax office has the right to request it along with the contract to understand where the money came from. Without it, the bank may delay an incoming transfer until all details are clarified.

Invoice formatting in Armenia

The document can be in an arbitrary format, but it must specify:

the number and date of the document
the requisites of the performer and the customer
- for an IE/LLC/legal entity: TIN, company name, country, address, contacts
- for an individual: passport number, full name, country, address, contacts
what work or product the invoice is issued for
the amount due for payment
in what currency and using which requisites to pay

👉 Go to invoice templates

What is a tax invoice

A tax invoice is the same as a regular invoice, but in a format that the tax office reads automatically: amounts, parties, VAT — everything strictly by fields, rather than in a beautiful PDF with your logo. See a real example of a tax invoice.

If your client (counterparty) in Armenia also works as an IE or a company, then the tax invoice created by you in the Taxpayer's Personal Account will be reflected in your client's account as an incoming document. And vice versa, if they issue a tax invoice to you, you will see it in your Taxpayer's Personal Account.

What is the difference between an invoice and a tax invoice

Two documents, two audiences:

Invoice – for the client. Readable, in any format, in any language. Answers the client's question: "How much and for what to pay?" See an invoice example
Tax invoice – for the tax office. A strictly standardized form. Answers the tax office's questions about the origin of funds. See a tax invoice example

It is normal to have both documents for a single transaction:

Did the work (sold the goods) → sent the invoice to the client for payment
Created a tax invoice based on the invoice → submitted it to the tax office

In most cases, a tax invoice is made by an accountant or a bot — you only issue the invoice.

When to create an invoice and a tax invoice?

Create an invoice when you are ready to receive money for your work or product.

✏️ Rule of good manners: send the invoice to the client first, and then expect payment.

An example of how it works in EasyTaxes

Suppose you worked through the entire month of November:

On December 5, you create an invoice for services from November 1 to 31 and send it to the client. Ask them to indicate the invoice number in the payment description — it gives peace of mind to the bank and makes it easier for the accountant.
You send this same invoice to the EasyTaxes accountant bot – without waiting for payment
- If the invoice is in a foreign currency, the bot will automatically convert the amount into drams at the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Armenia on the date the invoice was issued
- The bot creates a tax invoice based on the invoice and submits it to the tax office, while also declaring the income for the 4th quarter
The bot sends you a notification with the tax amounts due

Important: the income from this transaction belongs to December — not to November (when you worked) and not to January (when the money arrived in the account). For tax accounting purposes, the date the invoice was issued is what matters.

Deadlines you cannot miss

The invoice/tax invoice must be submitted to the accountant or bot:

- For services:

No later than the 20th day of the month following the month the invoice was issued. In practice, it is better not to delay past the 15th day — the tax office's system is overloaded during the last days.

- For goods:

On the day of sale of the goods. This refers to issuing a tax invoice if you do not work with a cash register.

If you are a freelancer or provide services — this deadline most likely does not apply to you.

For those who sell goods: in practice, the tax office is still lenient about delays — it does not yet have the technical capability to track all sales, especially on marketplaces like Wildberries or Ozon. But in the text of the law, the deadline is strict, without exceptions — and control tools will appear sooner than it seems. We recommend complying.

For settlements in foreign currency

If settlements are not in drams — for tax accounting purposes, the amount is converted into AMD at the exchange rate of the Central Bank of Armenia on the date the invoice was issued.

It does not matter when the money arrived in the account, at what rate you converted it, or how much you actually received in drams. Only the invoice date matters.

Nuance: if the invoice date is today, the CBA rate for this day will only be fixed in the evening. To calculate the exact amount, it is better to wait until the next day.

Common mistakes — based on real events

Mistake 1: Declaring income "after deduction" of commissions

Andrey earned 100,000 drams. The money arrived — the bank deducted a commission, and 95,000 hit the account. Andrey decided: "I'll write 95,000 in the invoice, why pay tax on what I didn't receive?"

You cannot do this. Tax is calculated on the amount before deduction of any commissions — payment systems, bank transfers, VAT. The invoice must state the full amount according to the contract. The 5,000 difference could trigger an accusation of tax evasion.

Mistake 2: "I'll get the money first, then fill it out"

Marina issued an invoice in December, and the money arrived in February. "I'll just format everything in February," she decided.

If the invoice was issued more than a month ago or the report for the past period has already been submitted — uploading a late tax invoice will require a recalculation and may lead to a fine.

Pass the invoice to the accountant on the day it is issued — do not wait for payment. We recommend doing it before the 20th of the following month at the latest.

Mistake 3: Calculating the currency exchange rate on the date the money is received

Dmitry issued a $100 invoice on December 15. In January, the exchange rate dropped, and he received less in drams. "I will declare it at the January rate because I received less" — no.

You need to declare 100 dollars at the exchange rate of the Central Bank Central Bank on the evening of December 15 — the day the invoice was issued. Regardless of what happened to the exchange rate afterward. Manipulating the exchange rate is considered tax evasion.

Mistake 4: Money to a personal card

This case is slightly off-topic, but important. Money from entrepreneurial activity can only be received into a business account of an IE or LLC in a bank. Cash — only through cash register equipment.

If the money arrived on a personal card, and you then transferred it to a business account voluntarily to pay taxes — the bank and the tax office may consider these funds to have an opaque origin. Even if you do it with the most honest intentions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don't receive payment?

If the tax invoice has already been sent to the tax office, but the transaction was canceled or the amount changed — upload a corrective tax invoice to the Taxpayer's Personal Account.

Can an invoice for a client be replaced with a tax invoice?

Yes, if your client:

is registered in Armenia
understands the Armenian language
and uses the Taxpayer's Personal Account

But keep in mind: a tax invoice does not contain your transfer details — the client will still need them. See a tax invoice example.

Can a tax invoice be replaced with an invoice?

No, you cannot. The tax office accepts documents strictly in a standardized format.

What to specify in the payment description?

Ask the client to indicate the invoice number and your details. This makes it easier for the bank to match the payment with the documents — resulting in fewer delays.

Do I need to prepare a contract and invoice before the first receipt?

It's better to do it in advance. Before the first large payment, the bank may request both documents.

What documents to store for the transaction?

Keep documents digitally: the contract, invoice, tax invoice, correspondence regarding the transaction, and confirmation of payment — this will help during bank or tax audits. The EasyTaxes system stores all documents in one place.

That's all

Dealing with invoices and tax invoices is not easy, especially if you have just opened an IE or moved to Armenia. But now you know the main point: issue an invoice immediately after completing the work, do not wait for payment, and the date on the document is more important than the date the money arrives.

The rest is technical.

👉 Try EasyTaxes — throw the invoice to the bot, and in a minute it's already at the tax office. Without an accountant, without manual entry.

Invoice templates

Download templates for free from EasyTaxes:

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