Understanding Document Status
Every electronic invoice in FatturaSmart has a status that tells you where it is in the sending process. Understanding these statuses helps you know whether the invoice has been delivered to your customer, if there are problems to fix, or if you still need to complete some steps.
How to read the status
In the invoice list, you’ll find a colored icon next to each document. Hover your mouse over the icon to see a text description of the status.
Tip: When you see an icon you don’t recognize, hover over it to read the description. On smartphones, long-press on the icon to see the text.
Statuses for sent invoices
When you create and send an invoice, it goes through several statuses. Here’s what each one means:
Draft
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| 📝 Paper with pencil | Draft |
The invoice has been created but not yet sent. You can freely edit it: change amounts, add lines, correct customer data.
What you can do:
- Modify all invoice data
- Delete it if you no longer need it
- Send it when you’re ready
Awaiting send
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ⏱️ Clock | Awaiting send |
The invoice is ready to be sent to SDI (the Italian Tax Agency’s Exchange System). This status appears when you’ve saved the invoice and the system is preparing to send it.
What it means: The document is queued for transmission. This status typically lasts just a few seconds.
Processing
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ⏱️ Clock (colored) | Processing |
The invoice has been picked up by the system and is being processed for sending to SDI. This is a transitional status that lasts just moments.
What it means: The sending is in progress, you don’t need to do anything. Wait for the process to complete.
Awaiting signature
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✍️ Signature | Awaiting signature |
This status appears only for invoices to Public Administration when offline digital signature is required.
What you need to do:
- Download the XML invoice file
- Sign it with your digital signature device
- Upload the signed file to FatturaSmart
Note: Most users will never see this status. FatturaSmart automatically signs invoices for you, unless you’ve chosen to sign manually.
Sent to SDI
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✈️ Airplane | Sent to SDI |
The invoice has been successfully transmitted to the Italian Tax Agency’s Exchange System. SDI is now verifying it and will deliver it to the recipient.
What it means: The invoice has been sent. Within a few minutes (or at most 5 days for complex cases) you’ll receive delivery confirmation.
What you can do: Wait for delivery confirmation. You can no longer modify the invoice.
Delivered to Customer
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✅ Green checkmark | Delivered to Customer |
This is the final positive status: the invoice has been successfully delivered to the recipient.
What it means:
- Your customer has received the invoice in their tax portal
- The invoice is registered with the Tax Agency
- Everything went successfully
What you can do:
- Register the payment when the customer pays you
- Send the invoice also via email as a reminder
- Create a credit note if you need to reverse the invoice
Available in recipient’s reserved area
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✅ Orange checkmark | Available for consultation in the recipient’s reserved area |
The invoice was accepted by SDI but could not be delivered directly to the recipient (for example, because the customer doesn’t have an active channel to receive electronic invoices).
What it means: The invoice is valid and the customer can view it by accessing their tax portal on the Tax Agency website.
Tip: In this case, it’s good practice to also send the invoice via email to the customer, so they know they can find it in their tax portal.
Send Error
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ❌ Red X | Send Error |
SDI has rejected the invoice because it contains errors. This can happen for various reasons: incorrect tax code, invalid VAT number, incorrect format.
What it means: The invoice was not accepted and you need to correct it.
What you need to do:
- Read the error message (you’ll find the details when you open the invoice)
- Correct the erroneous data
- Send the invoice again
Important: An invoice with a send error doesn’t exist fiscally. It hasn’t been registered with the Tax Agency and the customer hasn’t received it.
Special statuses: Health Card System
If you invoice healthcare services to private individuals in Italy, your invoices must also be sent to the Health Card System (Sistema TS) for the pre-filled tax return.
Health Card System Draft
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| 📝 Paper + 🏥 TS | Draft document for Health Card System |
The invoice is a draft intended for the Health Card System. In addition to standard data, it contains healthcare information such as expense type and patient opposition.
Awaiting send to Health Card System
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ⏱️ Clock + 🏥 TS (orange) | Awaiting send to Health Card System |
The invoice is ready to be transmitted to the Health Card System.
Sent to Health Card System
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✈️ Airplane + 🏥 TS | Sent to Health Card System |
The invoice has been transmitted to the Health Card System and is awaiting confirmation.
Delivered to Health Card System
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✅ Checkmark + 🏥 TS | Delivered to Health Card System |
The invoice has been accepted by the Health Card System. The data will be included in the patient’s pre-filled tax return (if they haven’t expressed opposition).
Statuses for received invoices
When you receive invoices from your suppliers, you’ll see these statuses:
Received
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✅ Green checkmark | Received |
The invoice has been correctly received in your tax portal and imported into FatturaSmart.
Received and acknowledged
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| ✅ Green checkmark | Received and acknowledged |
The invoice has been received and you’ve confirmed that the data is correct.
The complete invoice flow
Here’s how the lifecycle of an invoice typically develops:
Draft → Awaiting send → Processing → Sent to SDI → Delivered to CustomerProcessing times
| Step | Typical time |
|---|---|
| From Draft to Sent to SDI | Immediate (few seconds) |
| From Sent to SDI to Delivered | From a few minutes to 5 days |
Why does it sometimes take time? SDI processes millions of invoices daily. During peak periods (end of month, tax deadlines) times can be longer. In rare cases, SDI can take up to 5 days for delivery.
What you can do based on status
| Status | Edit | Delete | Register payment | Send via email |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draft | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Awaiting send | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Processing | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Sent to SDI | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Delivered to Customer | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Send Error | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
Warning: Once the invoice has been sent to SDI, you can no longer modify it. If you made a mistake, you’ll need to issue a credit note to reverse the incorrect invoice and create a new one.
Frequently asked questions
The invoice has been in “Sent to SDI” status for a long time. Is this normal?
Yes, it can happen. SDI processes invoices in order of arrival and during peak periods times get longer. If after 5 days the invoice is still in this status, contact support.
What do I do if the invoice has a send error?
- Open the invoice to read the specific error message
- Correct the problem indicated (usually incorrect customer data)
- Save and send again
Can I cancel an invoice that’s already been delivered?
No, you cannot cancel it. You need to issue a credit note to reverse the amount. See the guide: Issue a Credit Note
How do I know if the customer received the invoice?
When the status becomes “Delivered to Customer” (green checkmark), you have certainty that the customer received it in their tax portal.
The invoice is “Available in reserved area”. Did the customer receive it?
Technically yes, but the customer needs to actively go and view it in their tax portal. We recommend also sending them a copy via email as a reminder.
Next steps
Now that you know invoice statuses:
- Manage Payments - Register received payments
- Issue a Credit Note - Reverse an incorrect invoice
- Invoice Public Administration - Learn about PA invoice specifics
Need help?
If you have questions about an invoice status:
- WhatsApp: +39 351 410 2536
- Email: info@fatturasmart.com
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