Can I still create sales invoices for services in 2023 in 2024?

I have the same question. Searching the internet gives me conflicting information, in my opinion.

If you generated turnover in December but cannot send the invoice until January, this turnover belongs to the previous financial year.

Invoices from 2023 that are also paid in 2023 are recorded in 2023. Invoices from 2023 that are only paid in 2024 are recorded in 2024, because you only receive the amount in that financial year.This seems a bit contradictory to me. So I still don't know how to do it, because I now have to create an invoice on 1 January 2024 for services provided in December 2023. That is revenue from previous year (2023), but it will only be invoiced and paid this year (2024).

Hi cc,

If 'generating turnover' means the same as 'being paid', it's a bit clearer to me:

• For example, if you have a webshop and a customer places and pays for an order in 2023, but the goods are only delivered and invoiced in 2024, the invoice belongs to the 2023 financial year.

• If you provide services, these are often not paid for immediately, so they belong to the financial year in which they are paid for.

But then I question: what about services provided and invoiced in 2023, but not paid until 2024? Do they also belong to the 2024 financial year?

Update:

I did some Googling myself and found the next (= regarding limited liability companies, but the same rules probably apply to sole proprietors):

Invoices to be drawn up

How does that work? This is actually the mirror image of the invoices to be received. Your private limited company delivers goods or services in December 2017, but the invoices for these are not drawn up until 2018.

Attention! You have until the 15th of the month following the delivery or completion of the service to issue an invoice, so for deliveries and services in December 2017, this is until 15 January 2018.

When to record? Here too, the principle applies that you must record the revenue in the financial year to which it relates, i.e. in 2017. You cannot therefore shift turnover to 2018 by waiting to issue the invoice.

When is it taxable?You guessed it... the tax rules also follow the accounting rules for revenue. Invoices that you only issue in 2018 for services or deliveries in 2017 therefore count towards determining the taxable result for 2017.

Example. You make a delivery on 5 December 2017. You have until 15 January 2018 to issue the invoice. This invoice will only be included in the vAT declaration for the first quarter, or possibly the first month, of 2018, not in the vAT declaration for the last quarter from 2017 or December 2017. However, you must already include it in your 2017 turnover and it counts towards determining your taxable profit for 2017.

Source: https://ondernemingsdatabank.indicator.be/jaarafsluiting___invoices/spelregels_voor_te_received_on_en_op_te_maken_invoices/VLTAVEAR_EU10020501/7/related#:~:text=tot%2015.01.2018.-,When%20to%20book,wait%20for%20the%20invoice.

So: We have until 15/01 to create invoices for services provided in December, and they still belong to the 2023 financial year. However, the vAT declaration must be filed in the first quarter of 2024.

I don't think this applies to sole proprietors. For a sole proprietor, the financial year always runs concurrently with the calendar year, from January to December.So if we issue an invoice in 2024 for services in 2023 and do not receive the payments until 2024, they belong to the 2024 financial year. I could not issue any more invoices in 2023, because the last service was provided on 31/12/2023.

Ah, okay, thank you!