According to Decree 320/2025/ND-CP, businesses are permitted to purchase goods without invoices in two scenarios. The first involves purchases from individuals or households not engaged in business activities. This includes items such as agricultural, forestry, and fishery products directly produced or caught by residents, handicraft products made from bamboo, rattan, sedge, or straw, scrap materials collected directly by individuals, or assets sold by individuals or households.

For these purchases, to ensure the expenses are recognized as legitimate, businesses must have payment documentation for the seller. If payment is made in cash, valid payment documents include: payment vouchers, receipt vouchers, and invoices. If payment is made via bank transfer, the payment documentation consists of: payment orders, debit notes, and bank statements.

Circular 20 also specifies that if the daily purchase value is 5 million VND or more, non-cash payment is mandatory. Additionally, businesses must prepare a goods and services purchase statement for transactions without invoices, signed and attested by the legal representative or an authorized person. A sales contract and goods handover minutes may be included if available.

Shops, business households, and vendors at Dong Xuan Market. Photo: Hoang Giang

The second scenario involves purchasing goods from individuals or business households whose revenue falls below the value-added tax (VAT) threshold (for example, business households with revenue below 500 million VND per year). In this group, sellers are not required to issue invoices, so businesses are allowed to make purchases without them.

To have these expenses recognized, businesses must prepare a purchase statement for goods acquired without invoices. The set of documents required in this case is similar to those mentioned above, including payment documentation, the goods and services purchase statement, and other relevant papers. The requirement for non-cash payment also applies when the transaction value with the same seller reaches 5 million VND or more in a single day.

In both cases, the goods and services purchase statement plays a crucial role as the basis for tax authorities to assess the legitimacy of the expenses. Therefore, the person signing the statement must ensure the information is accurate and truthful.

Hoang Dan