Given the mandatory nature of VeriFactu, scheduled for 2026 and extended to 2027, only 2 in 10 companies would have been prepared when the delay was announced. This is revealed by the latest study carried out by Qonto on the impact of VeriFactu on small Spanish companies, prepared jointly with IO, which highlights that the vast majority of SMEs in Spain were not prepared to comply with this regulation within the initially planned period, January 1, 2026.
According to the study, 82% of Spanish companies with fewer than 50 workers still did not meet all the necessary requirements to adapt to the new VeriFactu electronic invoicing system, despite the fact that its entry into force was scheduled for early 2026.
The level of billing also makes significant differences in the degree of preparation. 37% of companies with a turnover of more than one million euros already comply with VeriFactu. These data show that SMEs with between 10 and 49 workers tend to give a higher priority to VeriFactu and are more advanced in its implementation, while microenterprises have a lower degree of preparation and positively value the postponement of the obligation.
In this context, the results of the study allow us to understand the Government’s recent decision to extend the mandatory entry into force of VeriFactu by one year, until January 2027, and show the real level of preparation of the Spanish business community at the time when the regulatory change was to be applied.
An extension aligned with the reality of SMEs
The study, carried out among 304 managers, owners and financial directors of Spanish companies, reflects that the adaptation to VeriFactu was approached progressively. 27% of companies were collecting information to understand the regulations, 19% were evaluating suppliers and digital solutions, and only 15% had begun to implement or adapt systems when the entry into force was scheduled for 2026. In addition, 18% had not yet started any process.
The data show that the perception of the extension varies significantly depending on the professional profile. 60% of self-employed workers consider this delay as good news, allowing them to save time and avoid immediate investments, compared to a more critical assessment among larger companies with larger turnover. In fact, among companies with 25 to 49 employees, 66% consider that the extension can slow down digitalization and discourage already planned technological investments, which reflects greater concern about the impact of the delay on processes already underway.
Marta Rifà, marketing director of Qonto for southern Europe, assures: “The study carried out last December shows that many companies were not yet ready for the entry into force in 2026.” And he adds: “However, we also firmly believe in the tangible impact that the digitalization of financial management has: companies that have already taken the step, implementing solutions like Qonto for financial management, have improved the efficiency of their administrative tasks by 60%, have saved up to 500 hours a year and have managed to collect their invoices 50% faster, thus strengthening their cash flow. Thus, the challenge is to take advantage of this new extra year for the entry into force of VeriFactu to move forward without stopping, since it means additional time to automate processes, gain visibility over billing and treasury and free up resources, which can be used for business growth.”
From an economic point of view, the majority of companies surveyed anticipate a moderate impact on their investment, although significant for their size. 52% estimate that their adaptation will cost less than 5,000 euros, while almost 30% anticipate a higher investment. Furthermore, 18.4% still do not know how much it will cost to adapt, which reflects the need for planning and support.
It is no coincidence that 74% of companies consider that there should be aid or tax incentives to facilitate early adaptation, a particularly strong demand among the self-employed and micro-businesses.
The greater the volume of business, the greater the degree of preparation
Regarding the degree of adaptation, although general compliance remains low, the financial profiles stand out. Financial directors are the most disciplined, with 89% already complying with regulations or in the process of adapting to VeriFactu, compared to 82% of managers and 73% of owners.
Finally, concern about a possible brake on digitalization is more pronounced among financial profiles and larger companies. 64% of financial directors consider that the extension can discourage digitalization, compared to 49% of the rest of the profiles, a perception that is also more common among companies with larger size and turnover.
On the other hand, the volume of annual income is also highlighted as a key factor in the pace of adoption. Companies with an annual turnover greater than 500,000 euros show a greater level of progress: 31% already met the VeriFactu requirements before the extension was announced, more than double that of those with a turnover less than 100,000 euros (13%). Furthermore, only 5% of the companies with the highest volume of revenue had not started any adaptation process, compared to almost three in ten (27%) among the companies with the lowest turnover.
The study shows that many companies were not yet ready for the entry into force in 2026
In the intermediate section, companies with income between 100,001 and 500,000 euros present a more balanced profile. Although 17% already met the requirements, the majority (almost 70%) were in some phase of the process, gathering information, evaluating solutions or starting implementation, which reflects a progressive adaptation, but still incomplete. On the contrary, microenterprises with lower annual turnover concentrate the highest levels of relative delay. More than half were in preliminary phases and a relevant proportion had not started any process, which points to greater financial and operational difficulties in addressing technological investments without a clear immediate return.
Turn delay into a real opportunity
For Qonto, the extension until 2027 opens a strategic window for SMEs to prepare in advance, without the pressure of imminent deadlines, and thus avoid improvised last-minute solutions. The study concludes that VeriFactu is not only a regulatory change, but a catalyst for the financial modernization of Spanish SMEs.
