Cyprus VAT Invoice Requirements

Why VAT invoice validity matters

A valid VAT invoice is not just a billing document — it is a legal record that entitles your customer to reclaim input VAT. If your invoice is missing mandatory fields your customer cannot use it to support an input VAT claim. The Tax Department can disallow input VAT recovered on invalid invoices during an audit. For your customer that means an unexpected VAT cost. For you it means a poor compliance reputation and potentially a penalty for issuing invoices that do not meet legal requirements.

Mandatory fields on a Cyprus VAT invoice

• Invoice date
• Unique sequential invoice number
• Supplier name and address
• Supplier Cyprus VAT number
• Customer name and address
• Customer VAT number — for B2B supplies where the customer is VAT registered
• Description of goods or services supplied
• Date of supply if different from invoice date
• Quantity or volume of goods or extent of services
• Unit price excluding VAT
• VAT rate applied to each line
• VAT amount per rate — where multiple rates apply show separately
• Total amount excluding VAT
• Total VAT amount
• Total amount including VAT
• For zero-rated supplies — reference to the exemption or zero-rating basis

Invoices with multiple VAT rates

If a single invoice covers supplies at different VAT rates — for example a restaurant bill covering food at 9% and alcohol at 19% — each rate must be shown separately. The invoice should have distinct lines or sections showing the amount at 9%, the VAT at 9%, the amount at 19% and the VAT at 19%. A single blended figure is not acceptable. The customer needs the breakdown to correctly attribute input VAT to their appropriate rate boxes on their own VAT return.

Zero-rated and exempt invoices

For zero-rated supplies — exports, intra-EU supplies, some services — the invoice should still be issued showing the supply value but with zero VAT. A reference to the reason for zero-rating should appear on the invoice — for example 'Zero-rated — export supply' or 'Article 11b reverse charge applies'. For reverse charge invoices the customer's VAT number should be shown and the invoice should state that the recipient is required to account for VAT under the reverse charge.

Credit notes and corrected invoices

If an error is made on a VAT invoice a credit note must be issued to cancel or adjust the original. The credit note must reference the original invoice number and date and show the corrected figures. Simply crossing out and correcting a paper invoice is not acceptable. Electronic invoices must be corrected via a formal credit note and replacement invoice process. Both the original invoice and the credit note must be retained for 6 years.