What every invoice must show
- A services tax invoice must carry the words "services tax invoice", the supplier's name, address and registration number, a serial number and the issue date, a description of the services with the date supplied, and the price and tax charged. It must be given to the customer within 10 days of the service (Revenue Code s.1028).
- A goods tax invoice, issued by a registered manufacturer, shows the words "goods tax invoice", the manufacturer's name, address and taxpayer identification number, a serial number and date, a description with quantity and delivery date, and the price and tax (s.1007).
Numbering, keeping and correcting invoices
Every person with a tax obligation must keep books and records in Liberia, in English, and produce them on request (Revenue Code s.55(a)). Invoices, receipts and credit and debit notes must be serialised and made in duplicate; a GST invoice must be made in triplicate, with one copy kept by the issuer. Keep records for seven years after the end of the tax period they relate to (s.55(b)). Inadequate records bring a fine of 150% of any tax underpaid as a result, and up to four years in prison for repeated or large cases (s.55(e), as amended in December 2024).
Corrections are made with a credit note or debit note carrying a serial number, the date, a description of why it was issued, and the original price, the correct price, the difference and the tax on the difference (s.1007).
When VAT starts, a tax invoice must show the words "Tax Invoice" on the front, carry a printed serial number and be made in at least three copies. Electronic, fax or email invoices count if they carry all the same data. A retail sales receipt, only with the Commissioner General's permission, is not allowed for a sale above USD 75 (MFDP Regulation No. 136, reg 4.2). Report lost invoices to the Commissioner General within 15 days.
Electronic invoicing in Liberia
Businesses must issue receipts and invoices from an LRA-approved Electronic Fiscal Device (EFD) that transmits each sale to the LRA, under the Income Tax (Electronic Fiscal Devices) Regulations of 13 August 2021. Businesses that have not yet bought a device may keep using manual receipts until the Commissioner General announces otherwise.