Setting up internal invoicing between multiple companies

Introduction: What is copying invoices between administrations?

Copying invoices between administrations means that you can automatically pass on sales from one administration (for example a German company) to another administration (for example the Dutch parent company). It's a way to handle internal invoicing between different business units or countries.

Why copy invoices between administrations?

You want to copy invoices because:

• You have multiple companies in different countries (for example a Dutch company and a German company)
• The German company sells to customers, but the Dutch company must receive an invoice for this
• You need to handle internal invoicing between companies
• This is necessary for correct bookkeeping and tax returns per country
• This way you keep an overview of which company generates which revenue
• It must be fiscally correct according to the legislation of both countries

Practical example:

• Your Dutch company supplies products
• These are sold via the German company to German customers
• The German company must receive a purchase invoice from the Dutch company
• This way the German company pays the Dutch company for the products

What do you need beforehand?

Before you can copy invoices between administrations, you must have the following set up:

1. Two administrations:

• Administration 1: Dutch company
• Administration 2: German company
• Both administrations must exist in Easyflor

2. Debtors correctly set up:

• German customers must be set up under the German company administration
• They must be set to receive invoices from the German administration

3. Create a special debtor:

• In the Dutch administration you create a debtor with the name of the German company
• This debtor represents your own German company
• You will send the copied invoices to this debtor

Note: This guide assumes the above is already set up. If not, arrange this first before continuing.

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How do you copy invoices between administrations?

Step 1: Go to the debit invoices menu

Open the Invoices tile

1. Go to the "Invoices" tile
2. Click on "Debit invoices"
3. You now see various options
4. Click on "Copy"
5. You now arrive at the screen to copy invoices between administrations

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Step 2: Choose source administration (where do the invoices come from?)

Select administration

1. Find the field "Choose the administration from which the administration should be copied"
2. This is the administration where the sales were made
3. In our example: Select "German company"
4. These are the invoices that will be copied

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Step 3: Set filters

Debtors and debtor category

You can use these fields to copy only specific customers, but usually you want everything:

1. Debtors: Leave empty (unless you only want to copy a few specific customers)
2. Debtor category: Leave empty (unless you want to copy a specific customer group)

Leaving empty means: All invoices from the chosen period will be copied.

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Step 4: Set the period (IMPORTANT!)

This is very important to prevent double invoicing!

Fill in dates:

1. Date from: From which date should invoices be copied?

   • For example: 1 January 2025
   • This is the start date of the period

2. Date to: Until which date should invoices be copied?

   • For example: 31 January 2025
   • This is the end date of the period

⚠️ WARNING:

• Invoices can be copied multiple times
• If you're not careful, you copy the same invoices twice
• This causes double invoicing and bookkeeping errors
• Therefore always use clear periods (for example per month)
• Keep track of which periods you have already copied

Example good planning:

• January: 1 Jan to 31 Jan → Copy on 1 February
• February: 1 Feb to 28 Feb → Copy on 1 March
• March: 1 Mar to 31 Mar → Copy on 1 April
• And so on...

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Step 5: Choose target administration (where should the invoices go?)

Select administration

1. Find the field "Choose the administration to which the administration should be copied"
2. This is the administration that must receive the invoice
3. In our example: Select "Dutch company"
4. This is where the new purchase invoice will be created

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Step 6: Choose debtor (who is the recipient?)

Select special debtor

1. Find the field "Choose the created debtor"
2. Select the debtor you created for your German company
3. In our example: Select "German company" (the debtor, not the administration!)
4. This debtor will receive the copied invoice

What happens? The Dutch company sends an invoice to "German company" (which is actually your own company). This is the internal invoicing.

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Step 7: Fill in addresses

Shipping address:

1. Select the shipping address where the invoice should go
2. This is usually the address of the German company
3. Or a central invoicing address

Invoice address:

1. Select the invoice address
2. This can be the same as the shipping address
3. Or a separate administrative address

Tip: If you have set up this debtor correctly, these addresses are probably already filled in automatically.

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Step 8: Choose invoice date

Set date

1. Choose the invoice date
2. This is the date that will appear on the new invoice
3. Usually the last day of the period or the first day of the following month
4. For example: For January invoices choose 31 January or 1 February

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Step 9: Execute the copy

Create invoice

1. Check that all settings are correct:
   • Source administration: German company ✓
   • Period: 1 Jan - 31 Jan ✓
   • Target administration: Dutch company ✓
   • Debtor: German company ✓
   • Addresses: Filled in ✓
   • Invoice date: 31 January ✓
2. Click on "Apply"
3. The system now creates the new invoice
4. This can take a moment if there were many sales

What happens?

• All sales of the German company in January are added together
• One large invoice is created
• This invoice is sent to the debtor "German company" in the Dutch administration
• The invoice contains all products and amounts from the chosen period

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Step 10: Check invoice

Verification

1. Go to "Invoices" in the Dutch company administration
2. Find the new invoice to "German company"
3. Open the invoice and check:
   • Are all products on it?
   • Are the amounts correct?
   • Is the date correct?
   • Are the addresses right?
4. If there are errors: correct them or create a credit note

Done! The internal invoicing is now arranged.

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Practical examples

Example 1: Monthly internal invoicing

• Situation: Every month the German company must invoice the Dutch company
• Action:
  1. End of January: Copy invoices 1-31 January
  2. End of February: Copy invoices 1-28 February
  3. And so on every month
• Result: Neat monthly internal invoicing

Example 2: Quarterly invoicing

• Situation: You invoice per quarter
• Action:
  1. End of March: Copy Q1 (1 Jan - 31 Mar)
  2. End of June: Copy Q2 (1 Apr - 30 Jun)
  3. And so on per quarter
• Result: Four times a year a large internal invoice

Example 3: Mistake - double invoicing

• Situation: You accidentally copy January twice
• Problem: Dutch company receives two invoices for the same sales
• Solution:
  1. Create a credit note for the duplicate invoice
  2. Note which periods you have already copied
  3. Be more careful with dates from now on
• Prevention: Keep a log of copied periods

Example 4: Multiple countries

• Situation: You have NL, DE and FR companies
• Action:
  1. Copy German sales → Dutch company
  2. Copy French sales → Dutch company
  3. Two separate debtors: "German company" and "French company"
• Result: Clear internal invoicing per country

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Important tips

Tip 1: Keep a log

• Note which periods you have already copied
• For example in an Excel file:
  • January 2025: Copied on 1 Feb ✓
  • February 2025: Copied on 1 Mar ✓
• This prevents double invoicing

Tip 2: Make a fixed schedule

• For example: First working day of the month you copy the previous month
• Make this a fixed routine
• Put it in your calendar
• This way you won't forget

Tip 3: Always check the invoice

• Check the new invoice after copying
• Does the total amount match your expectation?
• Are all products on it?
• Is the VAT correct?

Tip 4: Clear debtor names

• Name the debtor clearly: "German company (internal)" or "DE company invoicing"
• This way you see at a glance that this is internal invoicing
• Prevents confusion with real customers

Tip 5: Communicate with bookkeeping

• Inform your bookkeeper about this internal invoicing
• They need to know that these are internal transactions
• This is important for correct administration

Tip 6: Use the same periods

• For example always calendar months
• Or always quarters
• Not 15 days one time and 45 days another time
• This keeps it clear

Frequently asked questions

Question: Can I copy invoices back as well?

• No, this is one-way traffic
• Create a credit note if necessary
• Or manually copy the other way

Question: What if I forget a period?

• No problem, copy that period afterwards
• But be careful not to overlap with a subsequent period
• Keep your log up to date

Question: Can I copy selectively (only certain customers)?

• Yes, use the filters for debtors or debtor category
• Don't leave empty, but select specific customers
• Useful for special situations

Question: What if there are errors in the copied invoice?

• You can adjust the invoice or
• Create a credit note and copy again with correct data
• Or correct manually

Question: Is this needed for VAT?

• This depends on fiscal regulations
• Consult your accountant
• Internal invoicing often has special VAT rules

Question: How often should I copy?

• As often as fiscally/administratively required
• Usually monthly or quarterly
• Ask your bookkeeper what's best

What to do with problems?

Problem: No invoice created

• Check whether all required fields are filled in
• Check whether there were sales in the chosen period
• Check whether the source administration has sales

Problem: Invoice is far too high or too low

• Check the period (date from/to)
• You may have chosen too long or too short a period
• Check the invoice details to see what's in it

Problem: Duplicate invoices

• You probably copied a period twice
• Create a credit note for the duplicate invoice
• Note this in your log
• Be more careful from now on

Problem: Wrong debtor selected

• You accidentally selected a real customer instead of the internal debtor
• Delete or credit the wrong invoice
• Copy again with the correct debtor

Problem: Wrong administration as target

• You accidentally copied to the wrong administration
• Create a credit note in the wrong administration
• Copy again to the correct administration

Summary

Copying invoices between administrations is done to handle internal invoicing between different companies:

Preparations (one-time):

• Make sure both administrations exist (for example Dutch company and German company)
• In the target administration (NL company) create a debtor with the name of the source administration (German company)
• Set up this debtor correctly with addresses

Copy invoices (periodically, for example monthly):

1. Go to Invoices → Debit invoices → Copy
2. Choose source administration (where do invoices come from, for example German company)
3. Leave debtors and category empty (for all customers) or select specifically
4. Important: Fill in date from and date to (for example 1 Jan - 31 Jan) to prevent double copying
5. Choose target administration (where should invoices go, for example Dutch company)
6. Select the debtor (the internal debtor "German company")
7. Fill in shipping and invoice address
8. Choose invoice date (for example 31 January or 1 February)
9. Click Apply → new invoice is created
10. Check the invoice in the target administration

Why important:

• Fiscally correct internal invoicing between companies in different countries
• Overview of which company generates which revenue
• Correct bookkeeping per administration/country

Note: Keep a log of copied periods to prevent double invoicing!