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Compliant storage of Italian e-invoices: the Agenzia's free service

By law (article 39 of Presidential Decree 633/1972) both the issuer and the recipient of an e-invoice must keep it in compliant storage (conservazione a norma): saving the file on a PC is not enough, a process governed by the Digital Administration Code (CAD) is required, guaranteeing over the years that invoices are never lost, remain readable and that the original can be retrieved. Certified private providers offer the service, but the Agenzia delle Entrate provides a free one for all invoices issued and received through the SdI: it is activated on the Fatture e Corrispettivi portal by signing the service agreement.

Up to date for 2026 — verified on September 25, 2026Official procedure, no printed formGuide: about 10 min

Deadlines

From the day after signing up
Without a retroactive date, all invoices sent to the SdI from the day after the date of joining the agreement go into storage
Retroactive date: not before 1 January of the second year preceding sign-up
Limit for bringing into storage invoices that went through the SdI before joining
31 December of the second year after receipt by the SdI
Until then invoice files remain viewable in the reserved area; afterwards only the "invoice data" remain, until 31 December of the eighth year after the year the related return was filed

Documents to prepare

  • SPID, CNS or Fisconline/Entratel credentials for the Fatture e Corrispettivi portal
  • The date from which you want invoices already sent through the SdI to be stored
  • The Storage service Manual and the Service agreement, to be read before signing
See the procedure on the official site

No form is attached to this procedure: the link leads to the official page that describes it.

What this page gives you

The guide above and the link to the official site. ActioFin does not produce any document for this page: whatever you fill in or file is done on the official medium.

Who this applies to

  • Anyone issuing e-invoices
  • Anyone receiving e-invoices
  • A VAT-registered business wishing to use the Agenzia's free storage service, available from its reserved area of the Fatture e Corrispettivi portal

Worked example

Giulia Marchetti, a graphic designer, activates free storage in March 2026

Giulia Marchetti has issued and received e-invoices since 2023 but has so far only downloaded them to her computer, which is not compliant storage. On 10 March 2026 she logs in with SPID to the Fatture e Corrispettivi portal, opens "Fatturazione elettronica e Conservazione", clicks "Accedi alla sezione conservazione", reads the service Manual and the Service agreement and signs it. She enters 1 January 2024 as the retroactive date, the earliest allowed for a 2026 sign-up: invoices that went through the SdI from that date are placed in storage automatically. For her 2023 invoices she will have to turn to a certified private provider.

How to fill it in, step by step

  1. Get credentials for the reserved area: SPID, a National Services Card (CNS) or Fisconline/Entratel credentials.
  2. On the home page of the Fatture e Corrispettivi portal, select the "Fatturazione elettronica e Conservazione" link.
  3. Click "Accedi alla sezione conservazione" and read the Storage service Manual and the Service agreement.
  4. Sign the agreement; if you want to recover invoices that already went through the SdI, enter the date from which to bring them into storage, no earlier than 1 January of the second year preceding the year you join.
  5. For invoices the service does not cover, for example those before the earliest allowed retroactive date, use a certified private provider.

Good to know

  • Viewing is not storage: viewing lets you see and download a certified copy of the file for day-to-day management (checking orders, bookkeeping, collections and payments); storage archives the original file in line with the CAD, so that it can be produced when needed, for instance in a dispute.
  • The Agenzia's service is free and covers e-invoices issued and received through the Sistema di Interscambio.
  • A TD16 document supplementing a domestic reverse-charge invoice, sent to the SdI, is placed in storage automatically if you use the Agenzia's service.
  • The portal is a reserved area accessible only with personal credentials, to protect the data contained in invoices.

Common mistakes

  • Treating simply saving the file on a PC as storage: compliant storage is a process governed by the CAD.
  • Relying on the portal's "Consultazione" area as an archive: files stay there only until 31 December of the second year after receipt by the SdI.
  • Believing the obligation applies only to the issuer: it also applies to the recipient.
  • Entering a retroactive date earlier than 1 January of the second year before sign-up: older invoices are not recovered by the service.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Agenzia's storage service paid for?

No: it is free for all e-invoices issued and received, and is activated from the reserved area of the Fatture e Corrispettivi portal.

Can I also store invoices received before signing up?

Yes, by entering a retroactive date, which cannot be earlier than 1 January of the second year preceding the year you join. Without a retroactive date, invoices sent to the SdI from the day after joining are stored.

Are the invoices I see in the Consultazione area stored?

No: viewing lets you see and download a certified copy, and files remain available only until 31 December of the second year after receipt by the SdI. Storage is a separate service.

Who must store an e-invoice?

Both the issuer and the recipient, under article 39 of Presidential Decree 633/1972.

Go further

Related forms

Official sources

Read in Italian

Guide and document provided for information purposes only; they do not constitute personalised legal or tax advice. Check the recipient organisation's requirements and consult a professional if needed.