🇦🇺 Australia - Invoicing Specifications (Peppol / PINT A-NZ)
Status: 🟡 Voluntary B2B | 🟢 Mandatory B2G Reception (Gov must receive e-invoices) Authority: ATO (Australian Taxation Office) / Peppol Authority Standard: Peppol PINT A-NZ (Replaced BIS Billing 3.0 in 2025)
1. Context & Roadmap
Australia follows a "Post-Audit" model but is aggressively pushing Peppol adoption. Crucial Distinction:
- B2G: Federal Agencies must be able to receive e-invoices. They pay faster (5 days) if you send e-invoices.
- B2B: Voluntary, but encouraged. "Business eInvoicing Right" (BER) was proposed but not mandated yet.
- Standard: Moved from Peppol BIS 3.0 to PINT A-NZ (Peppol International) to align with Japan/Singapore/NZ.
| Date | Scope | Obligation |
|---|---|---|
| Active | B2G | Commonwealth entities must receive Peppol invoices. |
| Active | B2B | Voluntary adoption. Major ERPs (Xero, MYOB) support it natively. |
| May 2025 | Standard | Old BIS Billing 3.0 deprecated. PINT A-NZ is mandatory. |
2. Technical Workflow (Peppol Only)
Australia relies entirely on the Peppol Network. There is no central government platform for clearing.
sequenceDiagram
participant S as Invoicerr
participant SMP as SMP (Directory)
participant AP as Access Point
participant R as Receiver
Note over S: 1. Lookup
S->>SMP: Query ID 0151:[ABN]
SMP-->>S: Receiver found?
alt Receiver Found
Note over S: 2. Send PINT
S->>AP: Send XML (PINT A-NZ)
AP->>R: Route via Peppol Network
else Receiver Not Found
Note over S: Fallback
S->>R: Send PDF via Email
end
🧱 Key Components
- PINT A-NZ: The new XML standard. It handles local tax specificities (GST) better than the generic EU format.
- ABN (Australian Business Number): The primary identifier.
- RCTI (Self-Billing): A common practice in Australia where the buyer issues the invoice. Supported by PINT.
3. Data Standards & Identifiers
A. Identifiers (ICD 0151)
-
ABN: 11 digits (e.g.,
51824753556). -
Peppol Scheme:
0151. -
Correct Endpoint ID:
0151:51824753556. -
New Zealand Clients: Use NZBN with scheme
0088.
B. Critical Fields
- GST: Standard rate is 10%. Code
S. Export isZorG. - Bank Details: Must support BSB (Bank State Branch) + Account Number.
- Buyer Reference: Mandatory for B2G (Purchase Order).
C. Migration to PINT
- Namespace:
urn:peppol:pint:billing-1@aunz-1 - Difference: PINT is more flexible on tax categories and allows negative invoices more easily than BIS 3.0.
4. Implementation Checklist
- Peppol Engine: Upgrade the engine to support PINT A-NZ. Do not use the EU BIS 3.0 profile for Australia anymore.
- BSB Support: Add a specific field for "BSB" in the bank details section (Format:
XXX-XXX). - Prefix Logic: Hardcode
0151prefix for Australian clients. - RCTI Support: (Optional) If you serve industries like construction/farming, implement Recipient Created Tax Invoice logic (Self-billing).
5. Resources
- Official Authority: ATO eInvoicing
- Technical Specs: A-NZ Peppol Github (Check PINT migration guide)
- Peppol Directory: Directory Lookup