Italy mandates electronic invoicing through the SDI exchange system and legally-compliant digital archiving. We connect your systems and keep you compliant.
Mandatory e-invoicing via SDI
In Italy invoices must pass through the Exchange System (Sistema di Interscambio) in a specific XML format. We connect it to the tools you already use.
Legally-compliant archiving
Italian law requires certified digital preservation (conservazione sostitutiva) for years. We set it up so audits are never a problem.
Integrated with your ERP
We bridge your group ERP or accounting system to the Italian requirements - no double entry, no manual XML.
Italy digitalised tax compliance — and made it mandatory
Companies arriving in Italy are often surprised: electronic invoicing is not optional. Every invoice must pass through the SDI (Sistema di Interscambio), the exchange system run by the Italian Revenue Agency, in a specific XML (FatturaPA) format. Cross-border transactions are reported digitally as well. And invoices must be kept in conservazione sostitutiva — certified digital preservation with legal value — for years, under precise technical rules.
For a foreign company whose accounting lives on a group ERP abroad, connecting all this correctly is where the friction is. Xion IT Group builds and manages the Italian digital-tax layer and connects it to the systems you already use.
What we do for foreign companies
E-invoicing via SDI — issuing and receiving invoices in the correct FatturaPA format;
Cross-border digital reporting (the regime that replaced the esterometro);
Conservazione sostitutiva — compliant, audit-proof digital preservation with legal value;
ERP / accounting integration — bridging your group system so data flows once, with no manual XML or double entry;
Coordination with your Italian accountant (commercialista) — we handle the IT, aligned with your tax advisor’s process.
Not a backup — a legal obligation
A frequent and costly misunderstanding: keeping a copy of invoices on a normal backup is not conservazione sostitutiva. Italian law requires a specific preservation process with defined standards and retention periods; without it, documents can be challenged in an audit. We set up a compliant preservation service so this box is genuinely ticked.
The IT and the compliance, together
Because we run the whole IT of your Italian office, e-invoicing and digital preservation sit inside a properly managed, secure infrastructure — not bolted on. One partner, one point of contact, in coordination with your headquarters and your Italian accountant.
Do foreign-owned companies in Italy have to use electronic invoicing?
Yes. Electronic invoicing through the SDI (Sistema di Interscambio) is mandatory for companies established in Italy, in the FatturaPA XML format. Cross-border transactions are reported digitally too (the process that replaced the esterometro). Your Italian entity cannot issue paper invoices as in some other countries.
Our accounting is centralised abroad. How does that work with Italy?
We integrate the Italian e-invoicing and reporting layer with your central ERP or accounting platform, so data flows once and stays consistent. Your group keeps its system of record; the Italian legal obligations are met through a connected local layer we manage.
What is conservazione sostitutiva and do we need it?
It is the legally-compliant digital preservation of invoices and tax documents, required in Italy for the retention periods set by law - with specific technical standards. It is not the same as a normal backup. We configure a compliant preservation service so your documents are valid and retrievable for any audit.
Can you also handle the IT side of our Italian office setup?
Yes. Beyond e-invoicing we manage the whole IT of your Italian branch - workstations, network, security, Microsoft 365, backup - so tax compliance sits inside a properly run infrastructure. See our page on managed IT for Italian branches.
Looking for a partner to manage your IT?
Tell us what you need: a Xion consultant will get back to you quickly, and the initial assessment visit is free of charge.