Vietnam: What common nouns is it allowed to abbreviate when making electronic invoices? In what cases are abbreviations not allowed on invoices?

Main Content

• What common nouns is it allowed to abbreviate when making electronic invoices in Vietnam?
• In what cases are abbreviations not allowed on invoices in Vietnam?
• What are the regulations on the name, address, TIN of the seller on invoices, and the invoice number in Vietnam?

What common nouns is it allowed to abbreviate when making electronic invoices in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Point a, Clause 5, Article 10 of Decree No. 123/2020/ND-CP, when making an e-invoice, in case the buyer’s name or address is too long, the seller may shorten some common nouns such as:

Note: Although it is allowed to abbreviate in the invoice, the house number, names of the street, ward, district, city, name of the buyer must be fully and accurately written and be same as those written on the certificate of enterprise registration, certificate of branch registration, certificate of household business registration, taxpayer registration certificate, TIN notification, investment registration certificate, or certificate of cooperative registration.

Besides, in Official Dispatch 9208/CT-TTHT 2017 of Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department, there are instructions:

The payment method is not required on the invoice. In case the invoice has this content, but the seller and buyer have not yet determined the payment method, the "TM/CK" symbol can be written to ensure the correctness and validity of the invoice.

Thus, if the e-invoice has “payment method", it is allowed to abbreviate:

- The invoicer fills in “TM” if the cash payment is made.

- If payment by bank transfer is made, the invoicer fills in “CK”.

- If the payment method has not been determined, the invoicer shall leave the payment method blank or fill in "TM/CK".

In what cases are abbreviations not allowed on invoices in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 3, Article 18 of the Law on Accounting 2015 as follows:

Making and retention of accounting records

1. An accounting record shall be made for each economic/financial transaction that occurs during the operation of an accounting unit. Only one accounting record shall be made for each economic/financial transaction.

2. Accounting records must be made in a clear, complete, timely, and accurate manner in accordance with the set form. If an accounting record form is not available, the accounting unit may design its own accounting records as long as they have sufficient contents specified in Article 16 of this Law.

3. Economic/financial transactions on accounting records must not be abbreviated, erased, changed; Text must be written by pen; digits and letters must be written continuously without interruption; blank spaces must be crossed out. Accounting records that are changed are not valid for payment and recording in accounting books. Every incorrect accounting record must be crossed out.

4. An accounting record must have a sufficient number of copies as prescribed. Contents of the copies of an accounting record for an economic/financial transaction must be identical.

5. The persons who make, approve, and other persons that sign the accounting record are responsible for its content.

6. Electronic accounting records must comply with provisions of Article 17, Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article. Electronic accounting records shall be printed and retained in accordance with Article 41 of this Law. If electronic records are stored in electronic devices instead of being printed, it is required to ensure safety and security of information and accessibility during the retention period.

Thus, economic/financial transactions on accounting records must not be abbreviated, erased, or changed;

- It is only abbreviated for the "name and address" of the seller and buyer in case the name and address are too long;

- It is abbreviated for "form of payment" if the invoice has this criterion.

What are the regulations on the name, address, TIN of the seller on invoices, and the invoice number in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clauses 3 and 4, Article 10 of Decree No. 123/2020/ND-CP as follows:

Contents of invoices

...

3. Invoice number

a) Invoice number is an ordinal number written on the invoice when it is issued by the seller. An invoice number consists of 8 digits, from 1 to 99 999 999, written in Arabic numerals, begins on January 01 or the first day on which the invoices are used and ends on December 31. Numbers of invoices of the same reference number and form number shall be issued in ascending order. Buyers of tax authority-ordered printed invoices may use the invoice numbers pre-printed on such invoices.

If a business entity has multiple points of sale or multiple establishments using the same type of e-invoices of the same reference number by adopting the random access method from an e-invoicing system, invoices shall be issued in ascending order from the date on which the digital or electronic signature is added to the invoice.

b) If the aforementioned rules are not followed, the electronic invoicing system shall ensure that the numbers are generated in chronological order, every invoice number is unique and has no more than 8 digits.

4. The seller’s name, address and TIN

Invoices shall contain the same seller's name, address and TIN as those written on the certificate of enterprise registration, certificate of branch registration, certificate of household business registration, taxpayer registration certificate, TIN notification, investment registration certificate, or certificate of cooperative registration.

...

Thus, invoices shall contain the same seller's name, address and TIN as those written on the certificate of enterprise registration, certificate of branch registration, certificate of household business registration, taxpayer registration certificate, TIN notification, investment registration certificate, or certificate of cooperative registration.

An invoice number is an ordinal number written on the invoice when the seller issues it. An invoice number consists of 8 digits, from 1 to 99 999 999, written in Arabic numerals, begins on January 01 or the first day on which the invoices are used, and ends on December 31. Numbers of invoices of the same reference number and form number shall be issued in ascending order.

Buyers of tax authority-ordered printed invoices may use the pre-printed invoice numbers.

If a business entity has multiple points of sale or multiple establishments using the same type of e-invoices of the same reference number by adopting the random access method from an e-invoicing system, invoices shall be issued in ascending order from the date on which the digital or electronic signature is added to the invoice.

If the aforementioned rules are not followed, the electronic invoicing system shall ensure that the numbers are generated in chronological order, every invoice number is unique and has no more than 8 digits.