Starting June 1, 2026, farmers and livestock breeders operating as authorized sole traders (PFA) will be required to use the RO e-Factura system for issuing fiscal invoices. The deadline, confirmed by AgroInfo and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR), can no longer be postponed — and it catches a significant share of small and medium-sized agricultural producers unprepared. RO e-Factura is Romania’s national electronic invoicing system administered by ANAF, through which invoices are transmitted in real time to a centralized state platform before being sent to the client. The system is already mandatory for B2B transactions involving large and medium-sized companies in Romania, while its extension to self-employed agricultural producers represents the next step.

The practical implications for farmers are concrete. Any invoice issued after June 1, 2026, without being processed through the e-Factura system will be considered fiscally non-compliant and may lead to penalties. The process requires registration in SPV — ANAF’s Virtual Private Space — obtaining a digital certificate or using a security token, and operating software compatible with the UBL 2.1 standard required by the system. Farmers who occasionally issue invoices directly from Excel files or on paper will need to completely change their workflow. Agricultural associations have warned that many small producers are either unaware of the obligation or lack the technical capacity to comply without assistance.

There is also a positive side to the transition, often overlooked in discussions about bureaucracy: e-Factura creates financial traceability that protects farmers in potential disputes with buyers. An electronic invoice validated by ANAF carries stronger evidentiary value than a paper invoice, which is easier to challenge or ignore. In addition, integration into the e-Factura system facilitates access to bank financing — banks can quickly verify a producer’s actual invoicing volume without relying exclusively on annual tax declarations.

The June 1 deadline leaves less than three weeks for unprepared farmers. MADR and agricultural associations have organized information sessions, while ANAF has published dedicated guidelines for PFA operators and individuals engaged in agricultural activities. Farmers who have not yet registered in SPV and have not tested any electronic invoicing software should act this week — postponing preparations until the final days of May increases the risk of technical errors and penalties for the first invoices issued after the mandatory implementation date.

(Photo: AI GENERATED)