An invoice or proof of payment is a commercial document in which a sale operation is recorded, in which it is stated that an operation has been carried out satisfactorily and legally between two parties. Therefore, it generates validity and at the same time, communicates that the corresponding payments and established taxes have been paid. Invoices are documents that pass through our hands every day, not only when we make purchases in jewelers or gold stores, but also in supermarkets, cafeterias, shopping centers, hardware stores, restaurants, and any type of commercial establishment with which we interact.
What does an invoice contain?
The invoice or proof of payment has certain essential characteristics that make it a legal and unique document, among the basic data that we should find in them are the following:
- Presents a correlative number of a numerical series that identifies the invoice.
- Date of issue, which indicates when the transaction was made, some invoices issued digitally include the exact time.
- Buyer data: usually the name, identification number, and some contact telephone number. These data are generally not used if we want to buy gold anonymously, but having them on an invoice represents a guarantee for any inconvenience.
- Seller data: including your tax identification number, business name, tax address, and some means of contact.
- The name of the product or service that originates the document (or the list of them), in some cases, with a brief description. In the case of buying gold, the carats of the piece (24K, 18K, 14K, or 12K), its weight, and the price per carat are mentioned.
- The detail of the cost of taxes for VAT or any other mandatory tax. There are services or products exempt from VAT, which must be stated on the invoice.
- Information about possible discounts or some bonus.
Why should we ask for an invoice when buying gold?
Asking for an invoice when buying gold generates a series of benefits:
It acts as a guarantee against any eventuality or problem that may arise from filing a claim when buying a gold bar or piece.- With the invoice, the buyer can demand any claim or return in case of non-conformity, as long as it is within the times and guarantees established in the invoice (or that was agreed upon at the time of purchase).
- In the case of traveling with gold, it will help us so that the customs authorities can know the origin of said piece of gold, in addition to allowing the calculation of the value of the piece or piece of gold, since when certain amounts are exceeded (in average $10,000) must file returns or pay certain taxes.
- For the seller, it is considered as a justification or support if the corresponding payment has not been made so that he can go to court in case of any claim.
- It constitutes a legal guarantee for the company that can be registered in its accounting books. Any expense that is not credited through the invoice is not considered an expense for tax purposes, so it should not be included in the company’s accounting.
- For tax purposes, the company must submit to the Treasury or tax collection agency, all the invoices that demonstrate its income and expenses incurred. Each invoice presents the corresponding taxes, such as VAT, for example.
It acts as a guarantee against any eventuality or problem that may arise from filing a claim when buying a gold bar or piece.Electronic invoice
From a legal point of view, electronic invoices enjoy the same accounting, legal and fiscal effects as a physical and traditional invoices, since their validation is done through digital means. The advantage of the electronic invoice concerning the traditional one is in the speed of its delivery, contribution to the environment (it does not use paper), greater security, mechanization of information, and ease of management, in addition to favoring the process of registry, since physical space is not required for the storage of said invoices.
