SAF-T
BORA SAF-T (Standard Audit File for Tax) is the module you use to submit the standardised audit file for tax purposes to the NRA. It was built to the requirements of Bulgarian legislation and of the NRA.
The module collects, checks and exports large volumes of financial, warehouse and trade data in the legal electronic format. The work is automatic, and the risk of penalties for a faulty file goes down.
How it works: security, ETL and processing large volumes of data
Audit files are heavy. BORA BS SAF-T is built so that generating them does not slow down day-to-day work in the ERP system.
A separate ETL process
Extracting, transforming and loading the data (ETL, Extract, Transform, Load) is kept apart from creating the XML document itself. This has two advantages:
- The heavy processing is scheduled automatically outside working hours, and the servers are not overloaded.
- When the tax authorities change or extend the requirements, the software adapts quickly.
XML generation and XSD validation
Before the file goes to the NRA, the data passes an automatic check:
- the fiscal data is mapped precisely to the NRA’s official XML structure;
- the finished XML file is checked against the official XSD schemas to catch structural mismatches;
- separate checks look at whether the records are accurate and consistent, and give detailed warnings about problems and missing details before submission.
A solution to fit the size of the company
BORA BS SAF-T grows with the company. How it is implemented depends on the scale:
For medium-sized and large enterprises and multi-company holdings
With complex structures and many transactions, the module works together with BORA BI (Business Intelligence):
- the data for the audit period is kept in the analytical database (Data Warehouse) of BORA BI, not in the operational one;
- the finished SAF-T files are prepared, packaged and published straight from the BI environment, including on a consolidated basis for several companies.
For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- If all your work is in BORA Business Suite, the module is built into the system and reads the data straight from the source accounting and warehouse registers, always up to date.
Interface and audit control
The interface is made for finance people. Before the file is signed electronically, all the data is visible and can be checked.
- The menu follows the sections of the NRA’s XML schema: header data, accounting entries, customers, suppliers, products, physical movements of goods and more.
- The data is shown in a Janus Grid table. The accountant can fix a mismatch right there and reach the source document in seconds.
- Every ETL run, every transformation, every error, every XML generation and every export is recorded in order in a protected audit log (Audit Trail).
Frequently asked questions about the SAF-T standard
What is the SAF-T requirement and why does it matter?
SAF-T (Standard Audit File for Tax) is an international standard for the electronic exchange of tax and accounting data between businesses and tax authorities. The NRA is introducing it in Bulgaria to automate tax audits. Companies must be able to generate very detailed XML files to a set schema.
Why is the ETL process in BORA BS SAF-T separate from XML generation?
Extracting accounting and warehouse data for a long period, a year for example, puts a heavy load on the server. So BORA BS first extracts the data and arranges it in temporary tables, often overnight. The XML file itself is then generated quickly and does not get in the way of people in the office.
Can I correct data in the SAF-T module if I find an error before submission?
Yes. You see the extracted data in the Janus Grid table. If the check shows, for example, a missing UIC for a customer or a wrong item code, you open the source document, correct it and generate the file again.
How does BORA BI help holding structures with SAF-T reporting?
With several companies or a very large number of transactions, BORA BI serves as a data warehouse (Data Warehouse). It gathers the information from the subsidiaries and their databases, transforms it to the NRA’s requirements and generates the single audit file centrally, with no manual work.