JoFotara e-invoicing in Jordan: what to ask before you buy
JoFotara is Jordan's national e-invoicing system. Sellers of goods and services issue their invoices through it, directly or through software linked to it, unless they are exempt. This checklist explains what the system does, what your accounting or POS software must do, and what to get in writing from each vendor.
What JoFotara is
JoFotara is the national e-invoicing platform in Jordan. The Income and Sales Tax Department runs it. The second phase began on 1 April 2025, and under that phase, invoices for sales to businesses, to government and to consumers pass through the platform.
The platform checks each invoice in real time, before it reaches the buyer. The buyer's copy then carries a QR code from the platform. Invoices that skip the platform can lose their value for VAT input deduction, so ask your accountant how this applies to you.
Who has to use it
Sellers of goods and services must issue invoices. The 2019 invoicing regulation exempts some small shops and craftsmen with annual sales below JOD 75,000 and JOD 30,000 respectively. The electronic system was introduced in stages, and detailed rules come from ministerial instructions. Sources differ on the exact scope of the second phase, so confirm your position with your accountant or with the Income and Sales Tax Department, and use this page as a checklist, not as tax advice.
What your software must do
- Send each invoice to JoFotara for validation before it is issued to the buyer.
- Show the QR code from the platform on the buyer's copy, whether it is printed or sent.
- Keep every invoice with its JoFotara reference and status, so you can find it at audit time.
- Include the particulars a Jordan tax invoice needs: a serial number and date, your name and your tax or national number, the buyer's name, the items, values and tax, and the total.
- Handle credit notes and refunds through the same validation.
- Show clearly, to the cashier or the accountant, when an invoice is not yet validated.
Questions to put to every vendor, in writing
- Is your system connected to JoFotara today? From which date, and for which invoice types?
- Does each invoice wait for validation, and does the buyer's copy show the QR code?
- What happens when the connection is down? Is the sale held, how are duplicates avoided, and how fast does recovery take?
- Can you show a real validated invoice and its JoFotara reference, from a test or a live account?
- Can we export every invoice with its reference and status in a usable format?
- Who fixes a rejected invoice, and within how many hours?
- Who updates the system when the rules change, and how do we get the update?
What to confirm with your accountant
Ask which invoices your business must issue through JoFotara, and from which date. Ask how invoices that skip the platform affect your VAT input deduction. Ask how returns and refunds are recorded, and how long invoice records must be kept. Then write the answers into your accounting policy.
Where SSByte stands
BYTE's connection to JoFotara is in our plan and is not ready yet. We will not describe a connection as live until it is. Ask us in writing about the status of any SSByte product before you decide.
For the other questions to ask about the ledger, read our accounting checklist. For point of sale, read the restaurant POS checklist.
Questions people ask
Do I need JoFotara if I only sell to consumers?
The second phase covers sales to consumers too, unless the seller is exempt. Confirm which invoice format applies to your sales with your accountant.
What if the connection to JoFotara fails?
Ask the vendor what the system does when the connection drops: whether it holds the sale, how it avoids duplicates, and who fixes the connection. Test that case with your own staff before you go live.
Is SSByte's software connected to JoFotara?
BYTE's connection is in our plan and is not ready yet. Ask us for its current status in writing before you decide. We will not describe a connection as live until it is.
Where can I confirm the current rules?
With your accountant, and with the Income and Sales Tax Department. The rules and dates have changed in stages, so any guide can go out of date. This page is general information.
This guide is general information, not tax advice. Rules and dates change, so confirm the current position with your accountant before you decide. Talk to us for a written answer to any question here.