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
To defend an expense paid to a Nigerian supplier, keep a proper invoice from the supplier, the contract or order, proof that the money left your account and reached them, evidence the goods or service were delivered, and the Spanish tax entries the payment triggered (reverse-charge IVA on Modelo 303 and any non-resident withholding on Modelo 216). A transfer receipt on its own rarely proves what was bought.
What an inspector is trying to establish
When the Agencia Tributaria reviews an expense, it asks three questions: did the payment happen, was it for the business, and was it taxed correctly in Spain. Payments to Nigeria draw extra attention for practical reasons. The supplier is outside the EU, the documents may be in English, the amounts may be in naira, and a transfer from Spain to a Nigerian account looks the same whether it bought software, stock or a family gift. Your file needs to answer each question without anyone having to take your word for it.
The documents to keep for each payment
| Document | What it proves | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier invoice | What was bought, from whom, for how much | Supplier's full name, address and tax ID, your SL's details, date, number, description, currency |
| Contract, order or quote you accepted | Business purpose and agreed terms | Should match the invoice description and price |
| Proof of payment | Money left your account and went to the supplier | Beneficiary name should match the invoice issuer |
| Evidence of delivery | The service or goods were real | Reports, files delivered, shipping documents, emails |
| Spanish tax entries | The payment was treated correctly in Spain | Reverse charge on Modelo 303; Modelo 216 withholding or treaty evidence |
| Exchange rate record | How the naira amount became euros | Rate source and date |
Invoices from Nigerian suppliers
Spanish invoicing rules set out the mandatory content of a Spanish invoice in article 6 of the invoicing regulation (Real Decreto 1619/2012), which AEAT's billing-software pages refer to. A Nigerian supplier does not issue under that regulation, but its invoice should still carry the same essentials: issuer's legal name and address, its Nigerian tax ID, your company's name and NIF, an invoice number and date, a clear description and the amount and currency. Ask for a proper invoice from the start; a WhatsApp message with an account number is not one.
Expect the Nigerian invoice to show no Nigerian VAT on services. PwC's Nigeria summary (May 2026) notes that exported services are zero-rated, with Nigerian VAT at 7.5% otherwise. If an invoice for services to your Spanish company shows Nigerian VAT, query it before you pay.
If you are not sure the supplier is who they say they are, check their company registration first; our guide to checking a Nigerian supplier's documents walks through it.
The Spanish tax entries the payment creates
IVA. Services you buy from a supplier outside the EU are usually taxed in Spain by reverse charge: you declare the IVA yourself. AEAT's 2026 Modelo 303 instructions place the base and quota of these other reverse-charge operations in boxes 12 and 13, and deductible input IVA in the 28 to 39 range. The invoice is the document that supports both entries.
Non-resident withholding. AEAT lists Spanish entities and resident business owners among the payers that must withhold on income subject to non-resident tax, reported on Modelo 216. If you relied on the Spain–Nigeria treaty not to withhold, keep the supplier's Nigerian certificate of tax residence with the invoice; see Modelo 216 and Nigerian contractors.
Paying in a way that leaves a clean trail
- Pay the business that issued the invoice, not a director's personal account or a relative's.
- Put the invoice number in the payment reference.
- Avoid cash and informal channels; you will struggle to prove them later.
- Keep the confirmation that shows the naira amount credited and the rate applied.
- Store everything together, by supplier and date, for as long as the year can still be reviewed; your asesor will confirm the period that applies to you.
Documents in English or in naira
Nigerian invoices and contracts are usually in English and often in naira. An inspector may ask for a translation of key documents or for the euro equivalent of each amount, so keep a short summary in Spanish for larger suppliers and your exchange-rate record beside each naira invoice. When a single invoice covers several kinds of work, ask the supplier to break it down by line, since the Spanish treatment can differ between, say, design work and a software licence.
For recurring suppliers, build one folder per supplier per year and add the documents as each payment is made. Reconstructing a file from emails two years later, when an inspector asks, takes far longer and rarely produces everything.
Where Pryme fits
Through Pryme's partnership with VerifyDoc.ai, any Pryme customer can generate a verifiable receipt or statement for a payment, and anyone, including an auditor or an inspector, can check that it is genuine and unaltered. With a Pryme Business Account you can pay Nigerian suppliers in naira, attach invoices to payments, and let the Finance agent assemble each supplier's file for a person to review. See verifiable receipts and the Nigeria library's guide to checking a receipt is genuine.
Questions people ask
Is a bank transfer receipt enough to deduct a payment to Nigeria?
Rarely on its own. It proves money moved, not what was bought. Keep the supplier's invoice, the contract or order and evidence of delivery as well.
Do I charge myself IVA on services from a Nigerian supplier?
Usually yes, under the reverse charge. AEAT's 2026 Modelo 303 instructions put other reverse-charge operations in boxes 12 and 13.
Should a Nigerian supplier's invoice include Nigerian VAT?
For services exported to a Spanish business, PwC notes Nigerian VAT is zero-rated. Query an invoice that adds 7.5% Nigerian VAT.
What if my Nigerian supplier only sends a WhatsApp message?
Ask for a proper invoice with their legal name, address, tax ID, number, date and description before paying.
Sources
- Agencia Tributaria: SIF y VERI*FACTU, cuestiones generales (page updated 13 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Agencia Tributaria: Modelo 303, instrucciones ejercicio 2026 (page updated 9 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Agencia Tributaria: IRNR, retenciones (page updated 26 Sep 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Nigeria, other taxes (corporate, reviewed 29 May 2026) · 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.