Manage the VAT code catalog in SamBooks
8 min read
Create, edit and archive the VAT codes that invoice lines use to work out the rate and the FatturaPA nature automatically.
What it's for
A VAT code is a plain-language label (for example "VAT 22%", "Non-taxable - export") that packages the two technical values an Italian e-invoice needs: the rate and, when the rate is zero, the VAT nature of the FatturaPA schema (N1, N2.1, …, N7). When you fill in an invoice line you pick the VAT code by its readable name, and SamBooks derives rate and nature from it, so you never have to memorise the technical codes yourself. The catalog is managed from Settings → Company → VAT codes (/impostazioni/azienda/codici-iva).
SamBooks ships with a standard catalog of 26 codes covering most cases an Italian SME runs into (standard rates, exemptions, special schemes, reverse charge); from there you only add the extra codes you need.
Before you start
You need the Manager role: the Company settings area, which VAT codes belong to, is reserved for whoever owns the company's full configuration. With any other role (Staff, Viewer, Logistics) the page isn't reachable.
Step by step
1. Open the catalog
Go to Settings → Company → VAT codes (the "Company settings" link at the top takes you back). The page lists the codes grouped by category: Taxable, Excluded / out of scope, Non-taxable, Exempt, Special schemes, Reverse charge. Each row shows the code's name, the value it carries — the rate (e.g. "VAT 22%") for taxable codes, or the nature when the rate is zero — any legal reference, and a badge on the right: "Sales invoices", "Purchase invoices" or "Sales and purchases", i.e. which document type the code applies to. If the catalog were empty (rare, only on companies not yet initialised) you'd see "No VAT codes in the catalog. Create one with «New VAT code»."
2. Create a new VAT code
Press "New VAT code" at the top right: the "New VAT code" window opens ("Set name, rate and nature: the invoice line will derive these values."). Fill in:
- Name (required) — the label you'll see in the invoice line's dropdown, e.g. "VAT 22%" or "Non-taxable - export". Leave it empty and you get "Name is required."
- Category — one of the six categories above; it only affects the grouping in the list.
- VAT rate (%) — 22 by default; bring it to 0 for a non-taxable, exempt or reverse-charge code.
- VAT nature — appears only when the rate is 0 and is required in that case ("With rate 0 the VAT nature is required."). It only offers the leaf codes of the FatturaPA schema (N1, N2.1, N2.2, N3.1…N3.6, N4, N5, N6.1…N6.9, N7): the generic codes N2, N3 and N6 aren't selectable, because the exchange system SdI has rejected them since 2021.
- Where it applies — two checkboxes, "Sales invoices" and "Purchase invoices": at least one must be ticked ("The code must apply to at least one side (sales or purchases)."). A reverse-charge self-invoice code, for instance, only needs the sales side of the issuer.
- Legal reference (optional) — a free-text note, e.g. "art. 17 c.6/a-ter DPR 633/72", shown next to the value in the list.
Set the rate above zero and the Nature field disappears, its value cleared automatically: the two fields are always mutually exclusive, never both filled. Press "Save" ("Saving…" while the request is in flight): the "VAT code created." toast confirms it, or — if a code with the same name already exists — you get "A VAT code with this name already exists." and need to change it.
3. Edit an existing code
The pencil icon on a row ("Edit") opens the same window, titled "Edit VAT code" this time, pre-filled with the current values. The same validation rules apply: you can change the name, category, rate, nature, the two sides and the legal reference. Saving shows "VAT code updated." Invoices already issued with the previous version of the code don't change: they already carry the rate and nature that were derived at the time they were chosen.
4. Archive a code you no longer use
The trash icon ("Archive") opens the confirmation "Archive this VAT code?" — «"{name}" will no longer be selectable on new invoice lines. It stays on invoices already issued with this code.» Confirm with "Archive" (or "Cancel" to back out): the code disappears from the active list and from the dropdown on new invoice lines, while everything already recorded with it stays intact and readable. The toast reads "VAT code archived."
How the VAT code lands on an invoice
On a sales or purchase invoice line, instead of picking rate and nature by hand, you select the VAT code by its plain-language name: the dropdown only shows codes that apply to that side (codes with "Sales invoices" for a sales invoice, codes with "Purchase invoices" for a purchase — codes with both ticked show up on either). SamBooks derives the rate and nature for the document and for the FatturaPA schema from there, so you don't need to know the technical codes by heart. How these values behave once they're on the invoice line is covered in the guide "Set VAT rate, nature code and split payment on an invoice".
What the VAT code does NOT handle: deductibility
A common mix-up is assuming the VAT code also decides how much of a purchase's VAT is deductible. It doesn't: deductibility percentage is set line by line on the purchase invoice (or on the expense note), independent of the VAT code chosen — a "VAT 22%" code stays exactly the same whether the purchase is 100% deductible or only partly (company cars, for instance). The VAT code only carries rate and nature; deductibility is handled elsewhere, on the purchase document.
Who can manage VAT codes
Only the Manager role can create, edit or archive VAT codes (Company settings area). Other roles don't even see the menu entry; someone working on invoices with a Staff role can still use the codes already in the catalog on document lines — they just can't change them.
Ask Sam
You can manage the catalog by talking to Sam too, with the same result as the form: for example "create a VAT code for the margin scheme, rate 0, nature N5" or "list the VAT codes that apply to purchase invoices". Both paths are equivalent, same validation logic. One caveat: if you archive a code by mistake — whether from here or by asking Sam — there's no way to make it selectable again. This page has no AI action history to undo the archiving from, so going through Sam doesn't change that the result is final.
If something goes wrong
- "A VAT code with this name already exists." — names are unique per company: if the clash is with a code you thought was gone, check you didn't simply archive it in the past — an archived code still keeps its name reserved, so it can't be reused: pick a slightly different name (adding the year or a short tag, for instance).
- "With rate 0 the VAT nature is required." — pick a nature from the list; if the rate isn't really zero, fix it and the nature field disappears on its own.
- "The code must apply to at least one side (sales or purchases)." — tick at least one of "Sales invoices" / "Purchase invoices".
- I can't find a VAT code in the invoice line's dropdown — check it hasn't been archived, and that it's ticked for the side of the document you're filling in (sales or purchases).
- I archived a VAT code by mistake — it can't be recovered: create a new code with the same values, but under a different name, because the original name stays blocked by the archived code.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a VAT code? In Settings → Company → VAT codes, press "New VAT code" and fill in name, category, rate (or nature if the rate is 0) and which side it applies to.
Where do I set the 4% rate for my products? Create a new VAT code with category "Taxable" and rate 4: from then on it's selectable on invoice lines.
What do I put in the VAT nature field? Only when the rate is 0: choose among the FatturaPA leaf codes (N1, N2.1, N3.x, N4, N5, N6.x, N7) depending on why the transaction isn't taxed.
It tells me the nature is required with rate 0 — why? Because an e-invoice always needs a nature when VAT isn't applied: without it, SdI would reject the document.
What's the difference between exempt and non-taxable? They're two different categories in the list (nature N4 for exempt, N3.x/N2.x for non-taxable depending on the reason): the VAT code's category in the catalog is just a visual grouping — what actually matters for the document is the nature you choose.
How do I create a code for construction reverse charge? Create a code with rate 0, nature N6.x (the exact sub-code depends on the case), side "Sales invoices" if you're issuing the self-invoice as the transferor.
How do I hide a VAT code I no longer use? Press the trash icon on its row and confirm the archiving: it disappears from the dropdown on new lines, and stays on invoices already issued.
Does the VAT code apply to purchase invoices too? Only if it's ticked "Purchase invoices" (or both): a code with only "Sales invoices" won't show up on a purchase invoice's dropdown.
What's a plain-language VAT code? It's the name you see instead of the technical code: you pick "VAT 22%" instead of memorising the rate and nature by heart.
It says "A VAT code with this name already exists" but I archived it — why? Even archived, the name stays reserved: it can't be reassigned, so pick a different name for the new code.
Where do I put the legal reference (art. 17…)? In the optional "Legal reference" field of the create/edit window: it shows up next to the value in the list, as a reminder.