At the event, experts agreed that with the rapid development of technology and the digital economy, most businesses and establishments have shifted their sales methods from offline to online. Simultaneously, the application of AI in marketing is a new and rapidly growing trend in Vietnam’s F&B market. Additionally, the use of electronic devices, sales management software, electronic invoices, POS machines, digital kitchen screens, online ordering and delivery, and robotic servers is becoming an inevitable trend in the F&B industry in the coming time, thereby contributing to improving business operations.

At the event, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tinh, Vice Chairman of HTCAA and General Director of TPM Tax Agency and Consulting Corporation Company, revealed that currently, 91.8% of businesses are participating in the digital transformation journey for F&B services, and 69.5% of businesses acknowledge that sales software has improved their business operations. However, businesses in this sector also need to understand and strictly comply with tax regulations and electronic invoicing to minimize risks in their operations.

Specifically, for retail businesses and food and beverage services operating under the direct-to-consumer store system, although all business activities are recorded at the headquarters and the cash register system connected to the computer, they do not meet the conditions for connecting and transferring data to the tax authorities. Moreover, for transactions involving the sale of goods and the provision of food and beverages with printed bills that are stored in the system but customers do not require an electronic invoice, at the end of the day, businesses will base on the information from the bills to summarize and create electronic invoices for transactions of goods sold and food and beverages provided during the day. If customers request an invoice, the unit must issue an electronic invoice and deliver it to the customer.

Mr. Tinh also mentioned that the retail sector operates continuously, with each invoice having a small value but a large quantity. Therefore, the Tax Department has implemented the use of electronic invoices created from cash registers connected to electronically transfer data to the tax authorities. This makes it more convenient for sellers to issue and store invoices.

However, Mr. Tinh also noted that businesses issuing invoices at the wrong time can lead to delays in fulfilling the tax obligations of organizations or individuals, or electronic invoices that are not connected to the tax authorities may be subject to fines ranging from 3,000,000 VND to 8,000,000 VND (depending on the case). Therefore, businesses should raise awareness of compliance with tax regulations and electronic invoicing to minimize risks, create a transparent and efficient business environment, and contribute more to the State budget.