Export Invoices: Setup and Issuing by Country

Export invoices (also called export sales invoices) are Sales Invoices you issue to a client outside your country for exported goods or services. The system does not have a separate document type for them; instead, you issue them as regular Sales Invoices, and an invoice is identified as an export invoice by the tax used and by linking that tax in the E-Invoice settings for your country. This guide explains how to set up and issue export invoices.

Quick Steps

1. Create a zero-rate tax for exports.
2. Link it to the export category in the E-Invoice settings for your country (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or Jordan).
3. Add the foreign client with their country’s details.
4. Create a Sales Invoice for the client and select the export tax on the items.

Step 1: Create the Export Tax

1. Open Tax Settings.
2. Click Add, and enter the following:
   • Tax: A clear name, such as Exports or Export 0%.
   • Tax Value: 0.
   • Included: Not Included.
3. Click Save.

Step 2: Link the Tax in the E-Invoice Settings by Country

Saudi Arabia (ZATCA)

1. Open the Saudi E-Invoice settings, then go to the Tax Settings section.
2. Next to the export tax, select from the Tax Exemption Code field, under the Zero-Rated Supplies category:
   • Export of goods from the Kingdom (VATEX-SA-32) for exporting goods.
   • Export of services from the Kingdom (VATEX-SA-33) for exporting services.
3. Save.

Arab Republic of Egypt (Egyptian Tax Authority)

1. Open the Egyptian E-Invoice settings, then go to Tax Linking.
2. Link the exports tax to the type Value Added Tax, and to the subtype:
   • Export to Outside Egypt (V001) for exports outside Egypt.
   • Export to Free Zones and Others (V002) for sales to free zones.
3. Save.

To send the export proforma invoice number with the invoice: create an additional field for invoices (such as “Proforma Invoice Number”), select it in the dedicated setting in the Egyptian E-Invoice settings, and then fill it in on every export invoice.

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (National Invoicing)

In the Jordanian E-Invoicing settings, you set the user invoice type, and its options include the export types:

Activity Type	Export Invoice Type
Income tax only (no sales tax)	Export Cash Income Invoice / Export Credit Income Invoice
General sales tax	Export Cash General Sales Invoice / Export Credit General Sales Invoice
Special sales tax	Export Cash Special Sales Invoice / Export Credit Special Sales Invoice

Other Countries or No E-Invoicing

It is enough to create an exports tax at a zero rate (or as required by your country’s system) and use it on export invoices.

Step 3: Add the Foreign Client

1. From New Client, add the client and select the correct Country (the client’s country, outside your own country).
2. Enter the business name, the address (street and city), and a contact method.
3. If you deal with the client in a foreign currency, select their default Currency (such as the US dollar).
4. Save.

Step 4: Create the Export Invoice

1. Open Add Invoice.
2. Select the foreign client, and check the Currency (and the exchange rate if needed).
3. Add the items, and in the Tax column, select Export Tax for each item.
4. Complete the remaining details (in Egypt, include the export proforma invoice number, if there is one), then save and issue the invoice.
5. If e-invoicing is enabled, send the invoice to the tax authority as usual.

The invoice shows a total without tax, and the Export Tax name appears on the items with a rate of 0%.

Journal Entry

Example: an export invoice worth 10,000:

Account	Debit	Credit
Client	10,000.00
Sales		10,000.00
Total	10,000.00	10,000.00

No tax line is created because the tax amount is zero. If the invoice is in a foreign currency, the values are recorded in the account currency according to the exchange rate.

Export Invoices in Tax Reports

• In the Tax Report, select Export Tax in the Taxes filter to view all export invoices and their amounts.
• In the Tax Return, export sales appear on the Export Tax line with their amount and a tax due of zero.

Notes

• Whether an invoice is classified as an export depends on the selected tax and its mapping, not on the client’s country alone, so make sure you select Export Tax on all items of an export invoice.
• The conditions for treating a sale as an export (such as proof that the goods left the country) are set by the tax regulations in your country. Check with your accountant or tax advisor.
• You can create an export-specific invoice layout (such as a bilingual invoice or one titled Export Invoice) from the invoice layouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an export invoice in the system?

It is a regular Sales Invoice for a client outside your country, with a zero-rate export tax that is mapped to the export classification in the e-invoice.

Is there a separate invoice type for exports?

No. Use a Sales Invoice with Export Tax.

What is the difference between Export Tax and exempt tax?

Both have a rate of zero and neither affects the journal entry, but they differ in the code used to map them to the e-invoice and in whether they appear as a separate line in the Tax Return.

Is a tax number required for a foreign client?

In Saudi Arabia, it is not required and is not sent to the authority. Make sure you enter the client’s country and address.

What does exporting invoices mean in the invoices list?

It means exporting invoice data to an Excel or CSV file. It does not refer to export invoices.