The benefits and challenges of introducing the ePG system for electronic receipts in Hungary

A plan to reform the current cash register system has been on the agenda for years, and concrete legislation has already been formulated in the recently adopted tax package. Using the new e-cash register system (ePG system), it will also be possible to provide receipts in electronic form, which consumers can access via an application.

The ePG system could bring about a significant breakthrough in the field of receipts and recording transactions overall, as currently only a very limited number of electronic receipts can be issued and, as such, are issued in addition to the printed version. The main reason for this is that most of the commercial sector is obliged to use an online cash register, which can only issue paper-based receipts, and that the rules stated in the oPG regulation defined that paper receipts were the norm. However, things may change in the upcoming years.

There is also a growing need for electronic receipts to be available in the field of receipts, following the trend of electronic invoices replacing paper invoices. The ePG system can be a solution to these needs.

In the currently published tax package for the ePG system, only general, mainly procedural rules have been adopted, and the detailed rules will be settled by the legislator in a government decree and other regulations that are expected.

The above-mentioned procedural rules will undoubtedly formally come into effect on July 1st, 2024, based on the tax package. However, the new e-receipts rules adopted into the VAT Act, which are connected to the ePG system, will only come into effect on January 1st, 2025. The dates could still be extended, though, if the necessary regulations are not published in time.

  Preliminary data indicates that the awaited government decree with the specific regulations and further details on implementation is anticipated to be released by the end of Q1 2024.