Issue your first VeriFactu invoice
From an empty account to a signed invoice with a chained hash and the AEAT verification QR, in under ten minutes and without knowing anything about the regulation.
- Category
- First steps
- Level
- Beginner
- Time
- ≈ 8 min
- Steps
- 7
- Updated
- August 2026
Before you start.
What you are about to solve.
To issue a VeriFactu-compliant invoice you do not need to understand Royal Decree 1007/2023 or touch a single technical field: Cofactu generates the chained SHA-256 hash, the digital signature and the tax QR for you when you send. Your job is only to fill in the customer and the lines, as on any invoice.
This guide covers the full path the first time: completing your tax details, adding a customer, creating the invoice as a draft, reviewing it and sending it. From the second one it takes seconds, because your tax details and certificate stay saved.
Everything you do here works the same on the Free plan. You do not need to enter a card to issue a real VeriFactu invoice.
Do it in order.
Open only the step you are on.
7 steps to review, issue and leave the document ready, without reading a whole guide at once.
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Complete your tax details
Step 01: Complete your tax details
In Settings → Tax details enter your company name or your name, NIF/CIF, address and the activity code (epígrafe) if you have one. These details appear as the issuer on all your invoices and are part of the record that gets signed, so they should be correct from the start.
- Name or company name exactly as it appears at the AEAT.
- NIF/CIF without spaces or hyphens.
- VAT regime (general, equivalence surcharge, exempt…).
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Choose your invoice series
Step 02: Choose your invoice series
A series is the numeric sequence of your invoices (for example F-2026-0001, F-2026-0002…). VeriFactu requires numbering to be consecutive and without gaps within each series, because each invoice's hash chains with the previous one in its series. Cofactu creates a default series; you can rename it, but not reuse numbers already issued.
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Add the customer
Step 03: Add the customer
From Customers → New, enter the recipient's NIF, name and address. For full invoices (type F1) the customer is required; for a simplified ticket (F2) you can issue without identifying the customer. Cofactu remembers each customer for the next invoice.
- For EU customers, enter the intra-community VAT number if it applies.
- You can create the customer on the fly from the invoice itself if you prefer.
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Create the invoice as a draft
Step 04: Create the invoice as a draft
In Invoices → New, select the customer and add the lines: description, quantity, price and VAT for each. Cofactu calculates the taxable base, the VAT amount, the IRPF (personal income tax withholding) if you are a professional with withholding, and the total. While it is a draft you can edit everything with no tax consequences.
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Review and validate
Step 05: Review and validate
Before sending, Cofactu checks the AEAT rules: customer required depending on the type, date not in the future, consistent amount, reference to the corrected invoice if it is a corrective one. If something fails, you will see a specific warning on the affected field. Fix it and try again.
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Send: hash, signature and AEAT
Step 06: Send: hash, signature and AEAT
When you press Send, the invoice moves from draft to pending and is processed: the XML record is generated according to the AEAT specification, its SHA-256 hash is calculated chaining with the previous invoice in the series, it is signed with your digital certificate and, if submission is enabled, it is sent to the AEAT. The response (accepted, rejected or in process) appears within seconds.
- Sending to the AEAT is technically optional: you can be "non-VeriFactu" and still comply, but we recommend sending for the AEAT seal and lower risk.
- If the AEAT rejects, Cofactu tells you the error code and how to fix it.
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Download the PDF with the QR
Step 07: Download the PDF with the QR
Once issued, download the PDF or share it by email from the invoice itself. It carries the mandatory QR code that lets your customer, or an inspector, verify the invoice on the AEAT portal. The XML record and the PDF stay archived in your account.
When you finish you will have a real VeriFactu-compliant invoice: registered, signed, hash-chained and with its verification QR. The next one takes under a minute.
The questions that come up
when you put it into practice.
Do I need the digital certificate to issue the first invoice?
Cofactu generates and chains the record without you doing any technical tasks. Its declared system operates exclusively in VeriFactu mode: to submit the record to the AEAT you need a valid digital certificate. A mode without submission is not offered.
Can I modify an invoice that has already been sent?
No. Once issued, the invoice is immutable by design: modifying it would break the hash. If you made a mistake, you issue a corrective invoice (which references the original) or a cancellation. Both generate their own VeriFactu record, leaving full traceability.
What if I make a mistake in the invoice number?
You cannot choose the number: Cofactu assigns it consecutively within the series to meet the no-gaps numbering requirement. If you need another numbering, create a new series before issuing.
Does the first invoice count towards any Free plan limit?
There is no invoice cap: the Free plan includes full VeriFactu invoicing with unlimited invoices. Cancelled invoices also generate their VeriFactu record, and drafts do not count until they are issued.
Continue from here.
Without losing context.
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