EU E-Invoicing Compliance: A Template Strategy for Multi-Office Law Firms

Electronic invoicing is becoming mandatory across the EU, and law firms with European offices need to prepare now. The deadlines vary by country, but many are approaching fast. This guide explains what’s required and how to get ready.

Key Deadlines by Country

Already in Effect:

• Italy: Mandatory since January 2024 for all businesses
• Germany: January 2025 (all firms must be able to receive e-invoices)

Coming Soon*:

• Belgium: January 2026 (B2B invoices must use Peppol BIS format via Peppol network; PDFs will no longer be compliant)
• Poland: February 2026 for high-revenue businesses, April 2026 for all others (must use KSeF platform)
• Spain: 2026 (timeline pending final approval, will affect firms with €8M+ annual revenue first)

Later Deadlines:

• Germany: January 2027 (firms with €800,000+ revenue must send e-invoices)
• Germany: January 2028 (all firms must send e-invoices)

*Deadlines verified October 2025—complete sources listed at the bottom of this article.

Each country has different technical requirements, which makes compliance more complex for firms with multiple offices.

Why This Often Catches Firms Off Guard

Many international law firms face a specific challenge: their European offices understand the local requirements, but this information doesn’t always reach headquarters in time.

Jordan Moore from Datolite describes a familiar scenario: “The head office in New York kind of dictates everything and then the office in Paris kind of has a lot of these things that New York has no idea about.”

Here’s what typically happens:

• Local office receives government notice about e-invoicing
• Information slowly moves up the chain
• By the time it reaches decision-makers, it’s almost too late
• Template teams get urgent “we need this yesterday” requests

Four Steps to Get Started

Step 1: Map Your European Presence

Create a simple spreadsheet listing:

• Each EU office location
• Current invoicing process used there
• Any manual workarounds they’re using
• Local deadline for compliance

Step 2: Look at Your Current Templates

Many firms discover their European offices are still working with outdated processes. As Jordan Moore notes, offices often have “a Word document on their network share that they just copy and paste each month and manually update.”

Take a look at what each office actually does today; there might be opportunities to improve processes while implementing compliance.

Step 3: Understand the Technical Requirements*

E-invoicing isn’t just sending PDFs by email. Each country requires:

• Specific file formats (usually XML-based)
• Government-approved transmission methods
• Particular data fields
• Sometimes digital signatures

For example:

• Germany requires XRechnung or ZUGFeRD formats
• Italy uses a government platform called SDI
• Spain will require specific XML formats with digital signatures

*Technical requirements verified October 2025—complete sources listed at the bottom of this article.

Step 4: Plan for Automation

Manual processes become overwhelming when you’re dealing with multiple formats and requirements. Pette Chappell from Datolite explains: “A lot of firms are working with different services that will pull these files automatically, upload them via secure FTP.”

You’ll need systems that can:

• Generate invoices in the correct format automatically
• Send them through approved channels
• Track compliance status
• Handle rejections and resubmissions

What Could Happen Without Compliance

Here’s what firms face if they’re not ready:

• Financial penalties: Spain can fine non-compliant firms up to €10,000 per violation
• Billing delays: You won’t be able to invoice clients who require e-invoices
• Client frustration: While compliant competitors move ahead with smooth billing

Perhaps most telling is Pette’s observation: “We can pretty much predict who else is coming to us in a period of time.” Once your peers implement e-invoicing, clients expect everyone to follow suit.

A Realistic Timeline for Implementation

Based on typical patterns, here’s a practical approach working backwards from your deadline:

12 months before: Start planning

• Identify which offices are affected
• Assess current processes
• Budget for the project

9 months before: Choose your approach

• Select technology partners
• Decide on in-house vs. outsourced
• Begin technical review

6 months before: Build and test

• Tailor your templates to match country requirements
• Test with local requirements
• Train local staff

3 months before: Final preparation

• Run parallel tests
• Fix any issues
• Prepare backup procedures

1 month before: Go live

• Switch to the new system
• Monitor closely
• Be ready to help users

But What If You’re Already Behind?

Between client work, ongoing projects, and everything else on your plate, these deadlines can sneak up quickly. If you’re reading this and your deadline is approaching fast, here’s what to prioritize:

Fast Track (2-3 months):

1. Focus on the minimum viable compliance first
2. Get help from specialists who’ve done this before
3. Plan for manual workarounds during transition
4. Implement automation later

Express Timeline (under 2 months):

1. Contact specialists immediately. They may have pre-built solutions
2. Prepare for higher costs due to rushed timelines
3. Alert affected clients about potential billing delays
4. Document everything for post-deadline cleanup

The Datolite team sees this pattern regularly: “It comes to us in a rush… this needs to be done by the end of the month type thing,” as Pette Chappell describes. The good news? We’ve successfully handled many of these accelerated timelines and know exactly how to prioritize for quick compliance.

What Vendors Are Saying

Elite recently announced its approach to e-invoicing compliance:

• They’ve partnered with EDICOM as a third-party provider
• Compliant features are planned for October/November 2025 releases
• Support for France, Germany, and Spain is “targeted” for early 2026

Getting the Right Help

Most firms benefit from external expertise because:

• Requirements differ by country
• Technical specifications keep changing
• Mistakes can be expensive
• Experience speeds everything up

As Jordan Moore explains, once consultants have done this “once or twice… It’s going to be very duplicatable for other firms.” This means experienced partners bring proven strategies and can anticipate common challenges, dramatically reducing implementation time while still customizing for each firm’s specific needs.

What This Means for Your Firm

EU e-invoicing is happening whether firms are ready or not. The good news? With proper planning, the transition can be smooth and even improve your billing processes.

Start by understanding which of your offices are affected and when. Build a realistic plan that gives you enough time to implement correctly. Both your European offices and monthly billing cycles will run much more smoothly.

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Sources

Official Requirements:

• Fonoa (2025): E-Invoicing & Digital Reporting in the EU: Upcoming Changes
• Avalara (2025): Germany has implemented mandatory e-invoicing (January 2025)
• Spendesk (2025): E-invoicing regulations: What’s changing in the UK and Europe
• Storecove (2025): E-invoicing Compliance in Spain
• Leinonen Global (2024): New E-invoicing Laws

Elite:

• Elite (Thomson Reuters): “Elite’s Support for Upcoming E-Invoicing Regulations in Europe” – Customer communication, September 9, 2025

Industry Insights

• Jordan Moore, Co-Director of Template Consulting, and Pette Chappell, Co-Director of Template Consulting, Datolite Solutions