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UK e-invoicing timeline
Everything announced so far, and what's still to come. We update this page whenever something official changes.
- 13 February 2025
The government and HMRC open a consultation on promoting e-invoicing across UK businesses and the public sector. It ran until 7 May 2025 and received 342 responses.
- 26 November 2025: Budget 2025
The government confirms e-invoicing will become mandatory for all VAT invoices, business to business and business to government, from 2029. The Budget document says "from April 2029". No real-time reporting to HMRC at the start. A roadmap is promised for Budget 2026.
Budget 2025 · Overview of tax legislation, para 2.34 · Consultation response
- January to June 2026
HMRC and the Department for Business and Trade hold workshops and monthly meetings with accountants, trade bodies and software makers, plus sector "deep dives" including construction.
HMRC Transformation Roadmap update · Small Business Commissioner
- 23 June 2026
The government announces that Peppol will be the core network for e-invoicing in the UK.
- July 2026
HMRC repeats that e-invoicing for VAT invoices will be mandatory from April 2029. It says full guidance, standards, the technical specification and the law will be published by the end of the 2027 to 2028 tax year.
- 28 October 2026: Budget 2026 (coming up)
The government is due to publish its e-invoicing implementation roadmap, setting out the milestones up to April 2029. We'll update this guide the same week.
- 2027 to 2028
Full guidance, standards, technical specification and legislation are expected. Software makers get ready.
- April 2029
E-invoicing becomes mandatory for VAT invoices to businesses and the public sector.
- Later
Real-time reporting of invoices to HMRC may follow "once e-invoicing use was well established". Nothing is planned for 2029.
"2029" or "April 2029"? Some official documents say "from 2029" and others say "from April 2029". The most recent ones, the July 2026 HMRC roadmap and its annex, say April 2029.
Sources
- Promoting electronic invoicing: the consultation (February 2025)
- Government sets out plans for e-invoicing overhaul (press release, 13 February 2025)
- Budget 2025 (HM Treasury, 26 November 2025)
- Budget 2025: overview of tax legislation and rates, para 2.34 (26 November 2025)
- Promoting electronic invoicing: consultation response (HMRC and DBT, 26 November 2025)
- Small Business Commissioner: spotlight on e-invoicing
- Tax update 2026: summary (23 June 2026)
- HMRC Transformation Roadmap: update 2026 (July 2026)
- HMRC Transformation Roadmap update 2026: annex of planned activities
- Chancellor's letter confirming the Budget 2026 date (31 July 2026)
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