AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
A Spanish invoice to a Nigerian client must carry the same core fields as any other: a sequential number, issue date, both parties' names and addresses, your NIF, a description of the service, the taxable base and the IVA treatment. For services to a business client established in Nigeria, the general EU rule places the supply where the client is established, so Spanish IVA is normally not charged and the invoice should say why; expect the Nigerian client to deduct withholding tax from your payment.
Before the first invoice
You need to be registered with the Agencia Tributaria as a business or professional (alta censal) before you invoice. The AEAT's page for the census declaration, Modelo 036, updated 9 Oct 2026, explains that individuals can file an initial registration online through Censos WEB. You also need to be registered with the Seguridad Social as an autónomo; see autónomo registration for Nigerians in Spain. When you register, declare that you will provide services to clients outside the EU, as this affects which boxes you use on your IVA returns.
What every Spanish invoice must show
Article 6 of the invoicing regulation, Real Decreto 1619/2012 (consolidated text checked Oct 2026), lists the mandatory content of a full invoice:
- A number, and a series if you use one, with numbering correlative within each series.
- The issue date.
- Your full name and your client's full name or company name.
- Your NIF. The client's tax number is required in certain cases; for a Nigerian company, adding its Nigerian TIN helps its own records.
- Both parties' addresses.
- A description of the services and the data needed to set the taxable base, including unit price and any discount.
- The IVA rate and amount, where IVA is charged, shown separately.
- The date the service was carried out, if different from the issue date.
- Where the operation is exempt, a reference to the legal provision or a statement that it is exempt; where the reverse charge applies, the words "inversión del sujeto pasivo".
The regulation also sets the deadline: when the client is a business, the invoice must be issued before the 16th of the month after the month in which the tax fell due (article 11). If your invoicing software falls within Spain's new verifiable invoicing system, article 6.5 adds a QR code and the phrase "Factura verificable en la sede electrónica de la AEAT" or "VERI*FACTU". See VERI*FACTU when billing Nigerian clients.
IVA on services to a Nigerian business
EU VAT rules, which Spain's IVA law applies, set a general place-of-supply rule for business-to-business services: the supply takes place where the business customer is established, "whether the business customer is in the EU or not", as Ireland's Revenue puts it in its guide to the common rules (published 10 Aug 2026). A service you provide from Madrid to a company established in Lagos is therefore normally treated as supplied outside Spain, and Spanish IVA is not charged.
The invoice should show a zero IVA amount and a short line explaining why. Many asesores use wording such as "Operación no sujeta a IVA por reglas de localización (art. 69 Ley 37/1992)". Confirm the wording with your asesor; the full explanation, including private clients and exceptions, is in do I charge IVA to a client in Nigeria. Keep evidence that your client is a business established in Nigeria, such as its CAC registration details, TIN and a contract signed in the company's name.
IRPF retention
Spanish professionals often show an IRPF withholding (retención) on invoices to Spanish businesses. A Nigerian client is not a Spanish withholding agent, so the Spanish retención line does not normally apply; you account for your income tax through your own quarterly and annual returns instead. Ask your asesor how this fits your fraccionado payments.
Nigerian withholding tax on your payment
Nigerian companies deduct withholding tax on many payments for services. PwC's summary of Nigeria's 2024 deduction-at-source regulations says that payments to non-resident providers of professional, consultancy, technical or management services suffer 10% withholding, described as a final tax, and that the customer issues a receipt for the tax deducted. In practice, an invoice of €2,000 may arrive as €1,800 if the client deducts 10% (an example). Agree in the contract whether your fee is gross or net of withholding, and ask the client for the receipt. Whether Spain gives you credit for that tax is a question for your Spanish return; see reclaiming Nigerian withholding tax as a freelancer in Spain.
A layout that works
- Header
- Your name, NIF, address; client name, Nigerian address and TIN; invoice number and date.
- Lines
- Service description, period, quantity, unit price, discount.
- Totals
- Base imponible; IVA 0% with the non-subject explanation; total due.
- Payment
- Currency, due date, your account details, and a note on how bank charges are shared.
- Notes
- Contract or purchase order reference; the client's withholding obligation if agreed.
Credit notes and corrections
If you need to correct an invoice, issue a rectifying invoice (factura rectificativa) that refers to the original, rather than editing or deleting it, and keep both in your records.
Where Pryme fits
With a Pryme Business Account you can hold euros, dollars and naira and receive client payments into local account details for each. Invoicing lets you prepare and track invoices, and the Finance agent can match payments to them; a person approves above a set ceiling. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's services are provided through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Do I charge IVA to a Nigerian company as an autónomo?
For business-to-business services, the general rule places the supply where the client is established, so Spanish IVA is normally not charged to a company in Nigeria. Show 0% with the reason on the invoice.
What must a Spanish invoice include?
Number and series, issue date, both names and addresses, your NIF, a description, the taxable base, the IVA rate and amount or the reason none is charged, and the operation date if different.
Can I invoice a Nigerian client in dollars or naira from Spain?
You can agree the currency with the client. Your Spanish books and returns are kept in euros, so record the conversion; see our guide on exchange rates in Spanish books.
Why did my Nigerian client pay less than my invoice?
Nigerian companies often deduct 10% withholding tax on payments to non-resident consultants. Ask for the withholding receipt and agree gross or net pricing in the contract.
Sources
- Real Decreto 1619/2012, Reglamento de facturación (BOE consolidated text, updated 31 Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Agencia Tributaria: Modelo 036, declaración censal (page updated 9 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Revenue (Ireland): general place of supply rules for services (published 10 Aug 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- PwC Nigeria: highlights of the Deduction at Source (Withholding) Regulations 2024 · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.