Working with Official Document Numbering (Prenumbered Forms) for Sequential Invoice Numbering

[Former Member]

Introduction:

1. Normally Invoice documents will have sequential numbering based on their Document types and Number Range assignments.
2. Means for a specific invoice document type (F2, G2, L2 etc) will follow same number range and follow the sequential numbering irrespective of Sales Org and country, across globe.
3. But for some Asian Countries like China, South American countries like Peru and Chile and some European Countries like Hungary would like to have a sequential numbering for their invoice documents, even though they follow the same document types.
4. If Plants Abroad functionality is implemented for any European country, then all invoices generated on the goods shipped from Plant / warehouse (which is not in Company Code's EU country) also should have a separate sequential numbering as per the local Tax Regulations.

For More information on Plants Abroad Functionality, please refer to my earlier blog

EU Tax Reporting with Plants Abroad Functionality

EU Tax Reporting with Plants Abroad Functionality

1. To achieve this business need, we can use "Pre-numbered Forms" functionality which is provided by SAP.

How does Pre-numbered work?

Pre-numbered Forms concept is used to have a separate numbering for Delivery notes and Billing documents for some country specific requirements.

We need to configure following to this functionality

1. Form Types
2. Document Types
3. Lots & Books
4. Void Reason Codes

Form Types:

We need to maintain different form types based on different document types.

For example, if the business needs to have all the customer invoices (F2) and credit memos (G2) with different numbers then we need to create two different forms.

Document Class:

Need to create different document class based on requirement.

For above example, it will be two, one document class for Invoices and other for credit memos. And need to assign these document classes to respective types.

Lots and Books:

We can maintain the official document number ranges for books and lots. In some cases, local authorities provide these number ranges.

We can subdivide a lot into books. We must use the documents in each book in consecutive order. A book is often assigned to a specific printer and its documents printed in order there.

We can assign each lot and book a number of our own choice.

We can divide lots into books to make it easier to distribute them in a business or to simplify the printing process. The combination of the book number and lot number must be unique at company code level.

Void Reason Code:

We can also maintain different reason code, so that, these sequence will not be used on some particular cases.

How Prenumbered Functionality is used in Plants Abroad?

 

1. When Plants Abroad functionality is implemented, Plant / Warehouse will be setup in any of EU country other than Company Code's EU country. And all the goods movement will take place from this Plant / Warehouse.
2. In this case, business need to report all the goods movement and have the Tax Reports based on the Plant's or Warehouse's Country specific.
3. Some EU countries like Hungary, as per their local regulations, all the invoices rose from their local plant / warehouse need to report in sequential order. And this will not happen when business is using same document type across the globe.
4. So, using prenumbered forms, we can maintain Lots and Books with the separate number range. This number range can be used for those invoices (treated as reference number) where the goods movement happens from that country.
5. The data in Lots and Books will be saved in the standard tables like IDCN_LOMA and IDCN_BOMA, and we can use these Lots and Books in Number range user exits (OFF_NUMBER_GLOBAL_NUMBERING) so that we can have a separate invoice number ranges for client specific requirements.
6. In this case actual invoice number will not be disturbed and will be in the sequence of actual invoice document (F2) number range, but a new sequential number will be generated for reference number field (VBRK-XBLNR), using the number range maintained in Lots & Books. (Normally this reference field will have the same number of Invoice document).
7. This reference number can be used to report in Adv. Returns for Tax on Sales / Purchases (RFUMSV00), and all these will be in sequential manner.

Conclusion:

By using Prenumbered Forms functionality, we can have a separate sequential numbering for Invoice documents to achieve country specific legal requirements.