Standard Business Document structure
This page describes the Standard Business Document (SBD), the required container for every invoice you submit to Sovos.
The Standard Business Document carries the routing metadata and invoice payload that Sovos needs to process and deliver it. It has two parts:
- Standard Business Document Header (SBDH) - Holds the routing metadata
- Sovos Canonical Invoice (SCI) - Carries your invoice data in Universal Business Language (UBL) 2.1 format
Sovos validates and transforms the SCI into PINT-AE XML, then sends it to the PEPPOL Access Point.
UAE-specific SBDH fields
The following fields require UAE-specific values. All other SBDH fields follow the standard structure.
- Sender identifier
- Set the
Authorityattribute toAE. Use your 10-digit TIN as the identifier. No separators, no country prefix.<sbd:Sender> <sbd:Identifier Authority="AE">1234567890</sbd:Identifier> </sbd:Sender> - Receiver identifier
- Set the
Authorityattribute toAE. Use the buyer's 10-digit TIN.<sbd:Receiver> <sbd:Identifier Authority="AE">0987654321</sbd:Identifier> </sbd:Receiver> - Business scope
<sbd:BusinessScope> <sbd:Scope> <sbd:Type>PRODUCTID</sbd:Type> <sbd:InstanceIdentifier>ae_invoice_1.0</sbd:InstanceIdentifier> </sbd:Scope> <sbd:Scope> <sbd:Type>Country</sbd:Type> <sbd:InstanceIdentifier/> <sbd:Identifier>AE</sbd:Identifier> </sbd:Scope> <sbd:Scope> <sbd:Type>CompanyCode</sbd:Type> <sbd:InstanceIdentifier/> <sbd:Identifier>1234567890</sbd:Identifier> </sbd:Scope> <sbd:Scope> <sbd:Type>Mapping.OutputSchema</sbd:Type> <sbd:InstanceIdentifier/> <sbd:Identifier>PINTAE</sbd:Identifier> </sbd:Scope> <sbd:Scope> <sbd:Type>Mapping.TransformDocument</sbd:Type> <sbd:InstanceIdentifier/> <sbd:Identifier>SCI-TO-LEGAL_INVOICE</sbd:Identifier> </sbd:Scope> </sbd:BusinessScope>
Key SCI fields for UAE
Set the following fields within the UBL invoice to control PINT-AE output:
| SCI field | Required value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Invoice.CustomizationID | urn:cen.eu:en16931:2017#compliant#urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:3.0#conformant#urn:fdc:ae.gov.mof:2025:pint-ae:billing:1.0 | Mandatory PINT-AE specification identifier |
Invoice.ProfileID | urn:fdc:peppol.eu:2017:poacc:billing:01:1.0 | PEPPOL billing process identifier |
AccountingSupplierParty.Party.EndpointID (schemeID=0235) | Your TIN | Your PEPPOL endpoint |
AccountingCustomerParty.Party.EndpointID (schemeID=0235) | Buyer's TIN | Buyer PEPPOL endpoint, required for routing |
Invoice.InvoiceTypeCode | 380 (invoice) or 381 (credit note) | Document type |
TaxTotal.TaxAmount (currency=AED) | AED-equivalent tax total | Required at header level regardless of invoice currency |
Transaction type flags
A transaction type flag is a set of binary digits that identifies the type of transaction type an invoice represents. Every UAE e-invoice must include an Invoice Transaction Type Code. This field tells the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) what kind of transaction the invoice represents.
This matters because the UAE VAT regime includes several special transaction types, each with different tax rules. The transaction type code makes those distinctions machine-readable. Validators reject invoices that omit or misconfigure this field.
Set each flag in the SovosExtension block.
The following table shows complete information about the eight positions that determine each transaction in order:
| Flag | Set to true when |
|---|---|
FreeTradeZoneSupply | Either party is in a UAE Free Trade Zone |
MarginScheme | The transaction uses the VAT margin scheme |
DeemedSupply | The supply is a deemed supply |
SummaryInvoice | The seller makes more than one supply of goods or services to the same buyer in the same calendar month |
ContinuousSupply | The supply of goods or services made on recurring basis |
AgentBilling | A registered agent makes the supply on behalf of a principal |
ECommerceSupply | The supply of goods or services through e-commerce |
Exports | The supply of goods or services is made outside the UAE |