Adding a Client as a Government Entity
You can register government entities as Business clients and mark them as a Government Entity. This lets you add them with their official number without requiring a VAT number or commercial registration, and issue e-invoices for them that the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) accepts.
Contents
Before You Start
- The Government Entity option appears only in Saudi accounts that have the Saudi e-invoice app activated.
- The option appears only when the client type is Business.
Adding a Client as a Government Entity
- From the sidebar, click Clients, then Add New Client.
- Select the client type Business.
- Check Client is a Government Entity. You will find it in the Client Details section, right after the country field and above the VAT Number field.
- Enter the entity name in the Business Name field.
- Enter its official number in the Contract / Reg No / License No. field.
- Complete the rest of the details and click Save, then create invoices for it like any other client.
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Note: You can check the same option when editing the client, or when adding a new client from within the invoice. If you change the client type to Individual, the option disappears and is unchecked.
What Changes When You Mark a Government Entity
| Field | Business Client | Government Entity |
|---|---|---|
| VAT Number | Depends on the e-invoice settings. | Always optional, and shows (Optional) next to it. |
| C.R / Unified Number | Shown with this name. | Renamed to Contract / Reg No / License No. (Optional). |
| Other fields | Unchanged. | Unchanged. |
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Note: The Contract / Reg No / License No. field accepts up to 50 letters or digits, plus the symbols /, – and period (.).
Viewing and Finding the Client
- On the client page, the client type appears as Business — Government Entity, and its number appears as Contract / Reg No / License No..
E-Invoices for Government Entities
- Invoices for a government entity are issued as standard tax invoices, just like for a business client.
- If the entity has a VAT number, it is sent to the authority as the buyer VAT number. If it has no VAT number, the contract / registration / license number is sent instead.
- The government entity flag and its number are saved on the invoice when it is issued, so previous invoices do not change if you edit the client details later.
FAQs
Why doesn’t the Client is a Government Entity option appear?
Because the client type is Individual, or because your account is not Saudi or does not have the Saudi e-invoice app activated.
Are existing clients affected?
No. The option is unchecked for all existing clients, and a client keeps working as a business client until you mark it as a government entity.