Under ZATCA’s Phase 2 (integration), Saudi businesses issue tax invoices as UBL 2.1 XML from a connected invoicing system. The rollout runs in waves by revenue; ZATCA’s 25th wave, announced in August 2026, covers businesses with taxable turnover above SAR 187,500 and starts on 1 February 2027. More and more of the invoices you receive will therefore exist as XML — but your books still need rows.
What you can upload
- The XML file your supplier sends (Invoice, credit note or debit note).
- A PDF/A-3 with the XML embedded, which ZATCA allows for sharing standard tax invoices. AlFasil finds the embedded XML and uses it instead of reading the pages.
- Plain PDFs and photos of e-invoices. These are read by the AI and then checked against the QR code (see Saudi tax invoices to Excel).
What AlFasil takes from the XML
Supplier and buyer names, VAT numbers and addresses; invoice number, type and date; every line with quantity, unit price, VAT rate and VAT; document discounts and charges; the VAT breakdown; totals, prepayments and the amount due. Credit notes keep the number of the invoice they refer to.
The values are used as issued. AlFasil still runs its usual checks — totals, VAT math, duplicates, and the QR code inside the XML — so a file that doesn’t add up is flagged rather than passed on.
Into your books
XML invoices land in the same list as everything else, so one export covers e-invoices, scanned bills and receipts: Excel, CSV, or layouts for Xero, QuickBooks and Zoho Books.
This page is general information. Check ZATCA’s current guidance for your obligations and wave dates.