E-Archive Invoicing for Online Stores: What to Know

In our meetings with businesses setting up an online store, invoicing usually comes up last and often causes panic the day before the first order. Yet the invoicing flow directly affects the site's technical setup: which integrator you use, how an order becomes an invoice, and how the invoice reaches the customer all need planning from the start.

This article gives a general framework. Turkish tax regulations change often and thresholds can move. Confirm which rules apply to your business with your accountant (mali müşavir) and the Revenue Administration's (GİB) current announcements.

E-invoice vs e-archive

Both are electronic invoices. The difference is who you invoice.

An e-invoice (e-fatura) is issued between two businesses registered for e-invoicing. It travels through the Revenue Administration's system into the buyer's e-invoice inbox. If you sell to a company that uses e-invoicing, you issue an e-invoice.

An e-archive invoice (e-arşiv fatura) is issued to buyers not registered for e-invoicing. End consumers, the individuals shopping on your site, fall into this group. The invoice usually reaches the customer electronically, by email or text message.

In practice an online store may use both. The system can check the buyer's tax number and pick the right type automatically. A good integration makes that distinction for you.

The general framework for online sales

In Türkiye, e-archive invoicing becomes mandatory for businesses selling goods and services online depending on certain conditions and turnover thresholds. The thresholds have changed several times over the years, so we don't quote a figure here. Even when not required, many businesses switch voluntarily because emailing invoices to customers is simply easier.

E-archive invoices for online sales may need some details that ordinary invoices don't: a note that the sale was made online, the payment method, the dispatch date and the carrier's details, for example. Clarify which fields are required with your accountant; your integrator will also ask for them. If your order system can't pass this data automatically, you will end up completing each invoice by hand.

There is also the question of company structure. Sole proprietorship or limited company? The right choice for starting e-commerce depends on tax burden and scale. We touched on this briefly in our article on starting an online business, but the decision should always be made with an accountant.

Choosing an integrator

You can issue e-archive invoices in two ways.

The first is the Revenue Administration's free e-Archive Portal. It can be enough for businesses issuing few invoices, but each invoice is entered by hand. Automatic connection to your site is not really possible. As order volume grows, it becomes a time sink.

The second is a private integrator licensed by the Revenue Administration. These are paid services, usually priced by invoice credit packages or annual subscriptions. Their advantage is that they connect to your online store and accounting software through APIs or ready-made modules.

When choosing an integrator, check:

• Does it have a ready integration with your e-commerce platform?
• Is it compatible with the accounting software your accountant uses?
• How do return invoices and cancellations work?
• How does the price change as invoice volume grows?
• Can you actually reach their support line?
• Does it also offer e-ledger and e-dispatch note services?

Asking which integrator your accountant is used to working with is often the most practical starting point.

From order to automatic invoice

The ideal flow: the customer completes payment, the order is confirmed, the system creates the invoice with the customer's details and sends it to the integrator, the integrator passes it to the Revenue Administration and emails the customer a PDF. You don't touch anything.

For this to work, checkout has to collect the right information. Clarify with your accountant which details to collect from individual customers (name, address and, in some cases, a national ID number). If there is a business customer option, company name, tax office and tax number fields should appear. When these fields are missing or optional, invoices can come out wrong. Since this is personal data, it should also be covered in your privacy notice.

When to issue the invoice is also a decision. At payment, or when the parcel ships? This is another point for your accountant.

Returns bring in documents such as return invoices or expense receipts. Decide during setup whether these run automatically or by hand.

Write this integration into the scope of the site's technical setup from day one. It can be added later, but changing checkout fields on a live site is an unnecessary risk.

Questions for your accountant

Take these to the first meeting:

• With my turnover and sales model, is e-archive mandatory, and when will it become so?
• Do I need to register for e-invoicing?
• Which integrator do you recommend, and which do you work with?
• What extra details must online sales invoices include?
• Should invoices be issued at payment or at dispatch?
• How should I document returns?
• If I also sell on marketplaces, how are invoices separated?

Choosing an accountant with e-commerce experience makes life easier. Our article on websites for accounting firms gives an idea of the digital services you can expect from them.

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for legal, financial or tax advice. For your own situation, consult a lawyer or a certified accountant.