Get started with Sovos SAF-T
Learn the basic account structure and high-level steps to create your first SAF-T file.
This section walks you through the process of creating your first SAF-T file, from understanding your account structure to generating a compliant submission. Follow this structured approach to establish a repeatable process for efficient compliance reporting.
Best practices
Learn essential best practices for creating compliant SAF-T files.
Start early: Allow sufficient time for validation and error correction
Establish a review process: Have multiple people check accuracy and completeness of critical submissions
Create a timeline: Work backward from submission deadlines to establish milestones
By following this structured approach, you'll not only create compliant SAF-T files but also establish a foundation for efficient, repeatable compliance reporting.
Understanding your account
Sovos SAF-T organizes compliance activities using a hierarchical structure, with account and project levels to manage data and user access.
- Organization level
- The account represents your company and is the highest level in the hierarchy:
Contains all projects and related data
Manages user access and permissions
- Project level
- Within your account, you'll create separate projects that typically correspond to individual legal entities. This separation ensures proper data isolation and compliance, which is crucial for organizations that have multiple tax IDs or operate across countries.
Each project represents a specific legal entity or tax ID
Projects operate as data silos, maintaining separation between entities
Data uploaded to one project remains isolated from other projects
Each project can have distinct settings for specific jurisdictions
Gathering input data
Before you import data into Sovos SAF-T, consider the main categories of information required for compliance.
Core financial data: General ledger entries, chart of accounts with descriptions, and trial balance information.
Transaction details: Sales and purchase invoices with line-item detail, customer and supplier master data (including tax IDs and addresses), and payment records.
Supporting information: Product/service master data with tax classifications, fixed asset registers (for applicable jurisdictions), and inventory movements (where required).
Sovos SAF-T automatically identifies which specific fields are required based on your selected country and reporting period. During the import process, validation tools highlight any missing required information, which lets you address gaps before generating your SAF-T file.
For detailed field requirements and country-specific variations, see Country Requirements.
Choose a project
Import your data
Manual file upload: Direct upload of files through the platform interface
Automated SFTP transfer: Secure file transfers with scheduled automation
- API integration: Programmatic access for real-time data transfer
External API connections
SAP integration
For detailed guidance on each method, read about Data management.
Merge data
- Review imported data in the Data Repository.
- Go to the Data Consolidation section.
- Select files to be merged.
- Choose the appropriate merge strategy.
- Execute the merge process and review any merge collisions.
- Document resolution decisions for audit purposes.
Validate data
Thorough validation ensures your SAF-T file will meet requirements.
Generate SAF-T file
With validated and reconciled data, create your submission file.
- Go to the File Generation section.
- Select the reporting period.
- Choose the appropriate file format for your tax jurisdiction.
- Configure jurisdiction-specific settings.
- Generate and download the file.
- Submit the file to tax authorities.