GST InvoiceNow in Singapore: What It Is and How to Get Ready (2026)

Singapore is putting e-invoicing on a legal timeline, and if your business is GST-registered, it will reach you. The GST InvoiceNow requirement means GST-registered businesses send their invoice data to IRAS through the national InvoiceNow network. It started in late 2025 with new voluntary registrants. In 2026, IRAS confirmed it will extend to every GST-registered business, in stages, through April 2031.

The reassuring part: if your accounting software already supports InvoiceNow, getting ready is mostly a setup task, not a system change. Here's what InvoiceNow is, who has to comply and when, and how to get your business ready.

What is InvoiceNow?

InvoiceNow is Singapore's nationwide e-invoicing network, built on the international Peppol standard. It lets businesses send and receive invoices as structured digital data that flows straight from one accounting system into another, rather than as PDFs or paper that someone has to re-key by hand.

The GST InvoiceNow requirement adds a tax layer on top: GST-registered businesses in scope also transmit their invoice data to IRAS through the same network. One connection covers both sending invoices to customers and reporting to IRAS (IRAS, GST InvoiceNow Requirement).

Who has to comply, and when

The rollout is phased. The first waves cover new GST registrants; the 2026 Budget announcement extended it to existing GST-registered businesses through 2031, based on the size of their annual supplies.

1. From 1 November 2025: newly incorporated companies that register for GST voluntarily within six months of incorporation.
2. From 1 April 2026: all new voluntary GST registrants, whatever their incorporation date or business structure.
3. From 1 April 2028: new compulsory GST registrants, and existing GST-registered businesses with annual supplies up to S$200,000.
4. From 1 April 2029: existing GST-registered businesses with annual supplies up to S$1 million.
5. From 1 April 2030: those with annual supplies up to S$4 million.
6. From 1 April 2031: those with annual supplies above S$4 million.

IRAS lets SMEs use free InvoiceNow-Ready solutions until March 2031, and there is transitional funding of up to S$1,000 to help cover onboarding.

Why it's worth doing early

Beyond compliance, e-invoicing removes a chunk of manual work. Invoices arrive in your system as draft bills instead of PDFs to re-type, which means fewer keying errors, faster approvals, and quicker payment. For a small team, that is real time back each month.

Setting up before your deadline also avoids the scramble when a busy quarter collides with a system change you left too late. The businesses that struggle are the ones that treat it as a compliance chore the week it becomes due.

How to get ready in four steps

1. Check your software is InvoiceNow-ready. Confirm your accounting tool appears on IMDA's list of Peppol-ready solution providers. Cloud platforms like Xero support InvoiceNow natively; older desktop systems often don't.
2. Register and get your Peppol ID. Through your software or an Access Point provider, register your business on the SG Peppol Directory and get your Peppol ID, the address other businesses use to send you e-invoices.
3. Switch on the IRAS submission. Being on the network lets you send and receive e-invoices. If you're GST-registered, you also activate the GST InvoiceNow requirement, which submits your transaction data to IRAS, not only your e-invoices but also your bills, cash transactions, and invoices to customers who aren't on the network.
4. Turn it on and test. Send and receive a few test invoices before your deadline to confirm everything flows correctly. On cloud software, you can usually be live in an afternoon.

InvoiceNow on Xero

If you run on Xero, it connects to the network through a built-in service called Invoici, so e-invoicing is set up inside Xero rather than through a separate tool. You register, get your Peppol ID, and start receiving e-invoices as draft bills to approve. GST-registered businesses also activate the GST InvoiceNow requirement in Xero, which submits their transaction data to IRAS. Because Xero is a Peppol-ready cloud platform, the mandate is a settings change rather than a migration.

If you'd rather not touch the settings at all, we set up and run Xero for Singapore SMEs, InvoiceNow included.

Frequently asked questions

Is InvoiceNow mandatory in Singapore? It is becoming mandatory for GST-registered businesses in stages. New voluntary GST registrants must use it from 1 April 2026, and IRAS is extending the requirement to all GST-registered businesses through April 2031, based on annual supplies. Non-GST-registered businesses can adopt it voluntarily.

What is the difference between InvoiceNow and Peppol? Peppol is the international standard and network that InvoiceNow is built on. InvoiceNow is Singapore's implementation of it. When a solution is described as "Peppol-ready," it means it can connect to InvoiceNow.

Do I need special software for InvoiceNow? You need software that is InvoiceNow-ready, listed by IMDA as a Peppol-ready solution provider. Cloud accounting platforms such as Xero support it natively. If your current system doesn't, you either add an Access Point provider or move to software that does.

How much does InvoiceNow cost? IRAS allows SMEs to use free InvoiceNow-Ready solutions until March 2031, and offers transitional funding of up to S$1,000 to help with onboarding. On software you already pay for, like Xero, e-invoicing is included in your subscription.

When should I get ready? Before your deadline, and ideally well before. Setting up early on cloud software takes little time and saves a rush later. If you are a new voluntary GST registrant in 2026, your deadline has effectively arrived.

Not sure whether InvoiceNow applies to you yet, or when? Talk to us. If you want it handled end to end, our GST filing service covers registration, your quarterly F5 returns, and getting you InvoiceNow-ready on Xero.