How to Set Up InvoiceNow in Xero (Singapore, 2026)

Xero connects to Singapore's InvoiceNow network through a companion service called Invoici from Xero, so you don't need a separate e-invoicing tool bolted on the side. Once it's set up, you can send and receive e-invoices, and if you're GST-registered, submit your transaction data to IRAS. Here's how to do it, step by step.

One note. Xero's exact screens change from time to time, so we've described what you're doing at each stage rather than every click, and linked to Xero's own Singapore help pages.

Before you start

You'll need a few things in place:

1. A Xero subscription for your Singapore organisation. One Xero organisation holds a single UEN, so it sends and receives for one entity.
2. Your UEN and company details, matching your ACRA records. A mismatch is a common reason registration stalls.
3. A CorpPass administrator, who authorises the registration on your company's behalf.
4. To know whether you're GST-registered. GST-registered businesses have an extra step, activating the GST InvoiceNow requirement, so their data reaches IRAS.

Step 1: Get your company details right

Before anything else, confirm the company name and UEN in Xero match your ACRA records. Your identity on the network is tied to your UEN.

Step 2: Register on the InvoiceNow network with Invoici

You register through Invoici from Xero, the service Xero uses to connect to the network. Log in to Invoici with your Xero details, add your Xero organisation, and register it for InvoiceNow, then your CorpPass administrator authorises the registration. Once it's done, you have a Peppol ID, which in Singapore takes the form 0195:SGUEN followed by your UEN. Give that ID to suppliers so they can invoice you directly, and collect your customers' IDs so you can do the same. Xero's Register to send e-invoices page has the exact step by step.

Step 3: Activate the GST InvoiceNow requirement (GST-registered businesses)

Being on the network lets you send and receive e-invoices. Submitting your data to IRAS is a separate switch, the GST InvoiceNow requirement, which you activate in Invoici (open your business, go to the Settings tab, and activate it, with your CorpPass administrator authorising again). Registering on the network alone does not make you compliant. You need to activate this requirement.

To use Xero, you need to be registered for InvoiceNow through Xero, be GST-registered, and either use Xero's default tax rates or file your GST F5 returns through Xero. If you're an existing GST-registered business, you don't have to wait for your deadline. You can activate the requirement voluntarily and start early.

Step 4: Add Peppol IDs and start sending

Save each customer's Peppol ID in their Xero contact record, and invoices you raise for them go through the network rather than out as a PDF. You can send to business customers and to government agencies, though agencies have a few extra fields to complete first. Coming the other way, e-invoices from suppliers arrive in Xero as draft bills, and electronic purchase orders arrive as draft invoices, both for you to review before you approve. Xero's Send and receive an e-invoice page covers both directions.

Test before your deadline

Send a test e-invoice to a customer or partner who's already on InvoiceNow, and confirm an inbound one lands as a draft. If you've activated the GST InvoiceNow requirement, check that a submission reaches IRAS and reconciles cleanly. Doing this a few weeks ahead leaves room to sort out anything that doesn't behave.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. UEN or company details that don't match ACRA. Check your details in Xero before you register.
2. Assuming registration equals compliance. Being on the network is not the same as activating the GST InvoiceNow requirement. Registered businesses need the requirement switched on, and their data submitted.
3. Thinking only e-invoices go to IRAS. Bills, cash sales, petty cash, and invoices to customers who aren't on the network all need to be submitted too.
4. Approving inbound documents without checking. E-invoices and purchase orders appear as drafts, not finished entries. Review the supplier, coding, and GST before you approve.

Not sure whether InvoiceNow applies to you yet?

Setting it up is only worth doing once you know your deadline. New voluntary GST registrants are in scope from 1 April 2026, and IRAS is extending the requirement to all GST-registered businesses through April 2031. Our guide to the GST InvoiceNow requirement walks through who has to comply and when. And if you haven't settled on software yet, our comparison of the best accounting software for Singapore shows where Xero stands against the alternatives.

If you'd rather not set it up yourself, we handle it as part of running your Xero. See how our Xero service works, with InvoiceNow and GST included.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a separate e-invoicing product for Xero? No. Xero connects to the InvoiceNow network through Invoici, a companion service, so you set it up through Xero rather than buying a separate tool. Confirm the specifics against Xero's current Singapore guidance, since product details change.

Do I need to be GST-registered to use InvoiceNow? No. Any Singapore business with a UEN can register to send and receive e-invoices. Activating the GST InvoiceNow requirement, the part that submits data to IRAS, applies to GST-registered businesses on the phased timeline running to 2031, though existing GST-registered businesses can activate it voluntarily now.

What is a Peppol ID? It's your address on the InvoiceNow network, tied to your UEN. In Singapore it takes the form 0195:SGUEN followed by your UEN. Other businesses use it to send invoices straight into your accounting software as structured data, rather than as a PDF you re-enter.

Does registering on the network make me GST-compliant? Not on its own. Registering lets you send and receive e-invoices. For the GST InvoiceNow requirement you also activate that requirement in Xero and submit your transaction data to IRAS, then reconcile the submissions.

Does only my e-invoicing go to IRAS? No. Once the requirement is active, IRAS receives data on all your transactions: e-invoices, invoices to customers who aren't on the network, bills, cash sales, petty cash, and credit notes. Some of it goes automatically, and some you submit by hand.

Want InvoiceNow set up correctly the first time, without second-guessing the settings? Talk to us, or let our Xero service handle it as part of running your books.