Streamlined global e-invoicing: Billentis 2024

What the research covers

This 2024 Billentis report, authored by e-invoicing pioneers Marcus Laube and Bruno Koch, analyzes the global state of electronic invoicing and tax compliance. It covers market size, regulatory trends, CTC adoption models, regional progress, implementation strategies, and the growing role of AI and other technologies. The report is titled ""Watch the Tornado"" for good reason: mandates are multiplying fast, and the window to prepare is narrowing.

A market under pressure from all sides

Governments worldwide are accelerating digital reporting requirements to close the VAT and sales tax gap, which currently represents 20–30% of public revenue in many countries. Countries like Italy, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico have already demonstrated that well-designed e-invoicing mandates can generate billions in recovered tax revenue. As a result, Continuous Transaction Controls (CTC), which require real-time or near-real-time invoice reporting to tax authorities, are moving from regional experiments to global standard practice.

The numbers tell the story

The global e-invoicing market currently handles roughly 125 billion invoices electronically each year, out of an estimated 560 billion total. The market value stands at approximately $8.9 billion USD in 2024 and is projected to reach $23.7 billion by 2028. That represents a compound annual growth rate of nearly 28%. Around 40 countries have already disclosed upcoming B2B mandates, and more are expected.

Regional picture: everyone is moving, at different speeds

The report maps adoption across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, North America, and Europe. Latin America leads in enforcement maturity. Europe is advancing rapidly through initiatives like VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA), which will require structured B2B e-invoicing across EU member states by 2028. Asia is accelerating, with countries like India, Malaysia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia all expanding mandates. North America is earlier in the cycle but gaining momentum through the DBNA framework and growing enterprise interest in AR/AP automation.

Beyond invoices: the shift to Integrated Digital Trade

The report introduces Integrated Digital Trade (IDT), the holistic automation of financial, procurement, and tax reporting processes. E-invoicing is the entry point, but the end goal is seamless, system-to-system data flow across the full transaction lifecycle. AI is already playing a role in data extraction, fraud detection, and compliance monitoring, with more advanced applications on the horizon.

How to use this research

Whether you are evaluating your current compliance infrastructure, building a business case for e-invoicing, or preparing for mandates in specific markets, this report provides data and frameworks to guide decisions. It includes practical guidance on implementation sequencing, onboarding strategies, CTC model selection, and success factors drawn from consulting engagements across more than 50 countries.

Vertex e-Invoicing, developed in partnership with ecosio, is built to support this journey. A single connection delivers end-to-end compliance across jurisdictions, from tax determination and invoice creation through clearance, reporting, and archiving.