Delivery Slips and Invoices: Essential Documents

Posted on Feb 23, 2025 in Economy

The Slip

It is a document that the seller prepares and sends to the buyer along with the merchandise. Its main function is to serve as proof to establish that the goods have been delivered to the customer and also as a guide for drawing up the bill. The delivery note credits the following facts: the goods leaving the seller’s warehouse, the buyer receiving the goods, and the transportation time.

The slip is also essential evidence to prove the effects of delivery or availability of material sold to a customer. The absence of this document means that the chances of success in a subsequent appeal are slim.

Format and Content

There are a variety of formats.

The content of a standard model of slip is as follows:

  • Vendor data
  • Serial number of the receipt
  • Date of issue
  • Customer data
  • References
  • Method of shipment
  • Description of goods
  • Received comments

Classes of Slips

Slip without value: Describes and reflects only the quantity of goods shipped.

Valued slip: It is a special slip issued when orders are common. Instead of making an invoice for each order, slips will be assessed and, at the end of the month, the bill sends a bill summary or review of all slips of the order.

Copies of the Removal

Multiple copies are made:

  • Seller Copy: Serves to justify the removal of goods from the warehouse.
  • Copy to be signed by the buyer: The buyer should verify that the data on the packing slip corresponds with the merchandise received and the order made. If the shipment meets all the conditions, the buyer returns a copy of the slip, signed and sealed, to the seller.
  • Copy for the buyer: The buyer keeps one copy to prove that they have received the goods and to compare the data when they receive the invoice.

The Invoice

It is the legal document that certifies the sales transaction or service and is constructed from the data contained in the order and the copy of the receipt that the buyer accepts.

Delivery Assumptions Requiring a Mandatory Bill

In the following cases:

  • When the recipient is an employer or acting as such.
  • If the recipient so requires.
  • Exports of goods exempted from VAT.
  • Inter-delivery of goods exempted from VAT.

Exceptions to the Obligation of Billing

  • Those made by retailers to whom they apply surcharge scheme equivalence.
  • VAT-exempt transactions.
  • Those made by taxpayers who are taxed under the simplified VAT.
  • Operations authorized by the tax agency.

Content of Invoices

  • Seller or issuer data
  • Invoice number
  • Date and place of issue
  • Details of the purchaser or consignee
  • Description of the sales transaction: List of items delivered, number of units, and unit prices.
  • Discounts, packages, or expenses in calculating taxable income.
  • VAT and charge equivalence.
  • Total amount of the transaction.

The invoice must indicate the reference of the order or packing slip that caused the bill. It should be noted the terms of payment, such as when due, the amounts that the customer has paid down, etc.

Discounts in the Bill and Expenses

Discounts represent declines in the gross amount of the bill and are usually a percentage of that amount. Common discounts applied are:

  • Trade-off: It is applied to the general nature, affecting the gross amount.
  • Volume discount or Rappel: Applies when you buy a certain quantity of goods.
  • Cash discount: Is performed by total or partial payment of the debt before maturity. It is applied to the net amount after deducting other discounts.

Expenses

Delivery: To acquire the goods, providers will forward them to the client, sending it by the agreed-upon method and to the agreed-upon place. The carriage can be made:

  • Using the seller’s own means.
  • Hiring a land transport agency.
  • Rail, air, or sea.
  • Package delivery companies.

As for payment methods, these include:

  • Carriage: When the buyer pays the amount upon receiving the goods.
  • Postage prepaid: When paid by the seller in cash.
  • Cash on delivery: The buyer will pay for the product and transport at the time of receipt.

The ports are specified in an invoice if it is paid by the seller and the buyer.

Other costs include insurance, packaging, containers, etc.

When the freight and other expenses are included in the invoice, the VAT tax rate is the same as that for the invoiced goods. If they are billed separately, VAT is applied on their part.