ZATCA(ZATCA)
Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority — the Saudi Arabian government body responsible for VAT collection and the country's mandatory e-invoicing programme (Fatoora).
ZATCA (Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority) is the Saudi Arabian regulator responsible for collecting Zakat, VAT, excise tax, and customs duties. It also administers the kingdom's e-invoicing mandate, branded "Fatoora", which has been rolled out in two phases starting December 2021.
Why it matters
Every VAT-registered business in Saudi Arabia must integrate with ZATCA's Fatoora platform to issue electronic invoices in the required XML/PDF-A3 format. Non-compliance triggers fines and, eventually, the inability to issue legally valid invoices.
Related terms
Browse all →Continuous Transaction Controls
ComplianceAn umbrella term for tax-authority systems that monitor invoices in (near) real time — including clearance, real-time reporting, and SAF-T-style periodic feeds.
ViDA
ComplianceVAT in the Digital Age — the European Commission's reform package mandating structured e-invoicing and digital reporting for intra-EU B2B transactions, with phased application from 2030.
Fatoora
E-invoicingSaudi Arabia's national e-invoicing platform, operated by ZATCA, through which all B2B and B2C electronic invoices must be issued or cleared.
QR Code (Tax Invoice)
TechnicalA 2D barcode embedded in tax invoices encoding key invoice metadata (seller, VAT number, totals, timestamp). Mandatory in KSA Phase 1 and on simplified UAE invoices.
Need to comply with ZATCA?
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