The Free VeriFactu App from the AEAT:
Is it enough for your business?
The AEAT (the Spanish Tax Agency) will give freelancers a basic portal for issuing invoices that comply with the Anti-Fraud Law. We look at its limits and at how it differs from professional software.
Limits of the AEAT App
A basic manual toolThe Tax Agency's free system is designed only to cover basic invoice issuing, which leaves the user to do all the administrative work by hand.
- No client database: You have to type your client's tax ID (NIF), name and address by hand on every single invoice.
- Issued invoices only: You cannot upload, store or organise your expense receipts or the invoices you receive.
- No automatic tax calculations: It does not work out your quarterly returns (Form 303, the quarterly VAT return, and Form 130). You have to export the data and do the maths yourself or with an accountant.
The Fakturia.es Alternative
Automation and ControlAn all-in-one solution that turns the VeriFactu requirement into a competitive advantage by automating the admin work of a sole trader.
- Client CRM: Invoice in a single click by picking from the regular clients you have already saved.
- Smart OCR for expenses: Upload a photo of your receipts and Gemini Flash instantly pulls out the VAT, the supplier and the amount.
- AI Tax Assistant + RAG: Get personalised answers to your tax questions and generate ready-to-file tax return drafts.
Head to Head: AEAT App vs Fakturia
| Feature | Free AEAT App | Fakturia.es |
|---|---|---|
| VeriFactu compliance | ✓ Yes (basic issuing) | ✓ Yes (fully certified) |
| Signing and direct submission | ✓ Yes (with the user's own digital certificate) | ✓ Yes (automated, no friction) |
| Expense management and OCR | ✗ Not available | ✓ Automatic OCR scanning with AI |
| Client directory and CRM | ✗ No (data entered by hand on each invoice) | ✓ Built-in CRM with full history |
| Tax forms (303/130) | ✗ Does not calculate taxes | ✓ Live quarterly calculation and draft |
| Smart tax assistant | ✗ No | ✓ Interactive chat with tax context |
The real cost of "free" in your day-to-day admin
Using the free AEAT program removes the direct cost of buying software, but it shifts a heavy time burden onto a freelancer's daily admin. Typing in the same clients, tax IDs and addresses over and over, along with the risk of human error when working out tax rates or personal income tax (IRPF) withholdings by hand, ends up costing both time and money.
Modern tax management also means analysing your deductible expenses. With no module for receipts and supplier invoices, you will be forced to keep a parallel set of books in Excel (which is not legal for issued invoices) or to fall back on third-party apps, losing the unified view of how profitable your business really is.
Fakturia.es brings invoice issuing, expense tracking, automatic tax calculations and VeriFactu protection together in a single fast, futuristic visual console.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Tax Agency App
When will the free AEAT program be available?
It is expected to be released to coincide with the start of the formal VeriFactu obligation set out in the Tax Agency calendar. Freelancers will have it available before the technical deadline for adapting their software runs out.
Is it safe to use Fakturia.es instead?
Absolutely. Fakturia.es is built in strict compliance with the technical and security rules of the Anti-Fraud Law and the AEAT verifiable invoice system (VeriFactu), chaining records with SHA-256 algorithms and embedding valid official QR codes.
Automate Your VeriFactu with Fakturia.es
Save hours of repetitive paperwork and wasted effort with our AI-powered expense OCR reader and instant compliant invoicing.