VeriFactu for laundromats: what Spain's Tax Agency requires and why your coin payment system is a risk
Tamper-proof invoices, chained records and fines of up to € 50,000 per financial year. What changes for a self-service laundromat in Spain and why the old coin payment system is the weak link.
PAYMMIO TeamPublished on Updated on 5 min read
Key points
- VeriFactu requires every invoice or receipt to be recorded when it is issued, with a fingerprint chained to the previous one. It cannot be deleted or changed without leaving a trace.
- It applies to any system you use to issue invoices, including the receipts (simplified invoices) printed by a kiosk or payment terminal.
- Using a non-compliant system can cost up to € 50,000 per financial year (article 201 bis of Spain's General Tax Law).
- The Tax Agency already knows your card revenue: banks report it every year. Coins are the part you must be able to justify.
- The deadlines are 1 January 2027 for companies and 1 July 2027 for everyone else. 2026 is the year to adapt without rushing.
What VeriFactu is
VeriFactu is the Spanish system that requires every invoice to be recorded the moment it is issued, with a digital fingerprint chained to the previous one. If someone deletes or edits an invoice, the chain breaks and it shows. Deadlines, fines and the two modes are in the VeriFactu guide.
It stems from Law 11/2021 on measures to prevent tax fraud, which banned dual-use software (programs able to hide sales). The technical detail is in Royal Decree 1007/2023 and Order HAC/1177/2024. Together they define how any program, payment terminal or kiosk that issues invoices must behave.
The rules allow two modes:
- VERI*FACTU mode: the system sends each record to the Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) in real time. The invoice carries a QR code and the legend «VERI*FACTU».
- Non-VERI*FACTU mode: records are kept in your system, electronically signed and with an event log. If the Tax Agency asks for them, you hand them over.
Does it affect a self-service laundromat?
Yes, as soon as you issue invoices with a computer system. And a laundromat issues more than it seems:
- Receipts from the payment kiosk or terminal. They are simplified invoices.
- Monthly invoices to business customers: hotels, holiday rentals, gyms.
- Invoices a private customer asks for after a wash.
If your store only has coin acceptors that give credit to the machine and you never issue a receipt, the rules don't touch the coins themselves. But that income is still in your tax return, and that is where the problem starts.
Why the old coin system is a tax risk
A classic coin acceptor knows one thing: how many coins went in. It doesn't know which machine was used, at what time or which cycle. It doesn't create a record per transaction. What reaches your accounts is a manual count.
Meanwhile, your card payments are fully documented. Banks report to the Tax Agency every year what each merchant collects by card (form 170). The Agency knows part of your revenue to the cent and the rest depends on your word.
The weak spots we see in stores:
- Coin counts written down by hand or in a spreadsheet.
- Receipts from an outdated terminal whose manufacturer no longer exists or hasn't updated the software.
- Card and coin payments in separate systems that never reconcile.
- Business invoices written in a word processor, without controlled numbering.
The penalties: what the law says
Article 201 bis of the General Tax Law sets fines per financial year, not per invoice. These are the figures:
| Infringement | Who is liable | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Owning or using a system that doesn't meet the requirements | The business using it | € 50,000 per financial year |
| Making or selling a non-compliant system | The manufacturer or reseller | € 150,000 per financial year and type of system |
Look at the first row. Even if the fault lies with the manufacturer, the fine for owning the system is yours.
When it becomes mandatory
After the postponement approved by Royal Decree-law 15/2025, the obligation starts on 1 January 2027 for businesses that pay Corporate Income Tax and on 1 July 2027 for everyone else, including self-employed owners. The dates have already moved twice, so check them with your tax adviser before planning. We track every change in our news section.
Replacing the payment system of a store doesn't happen in a week. You have to choose a provider, install, test and train. That is why 2026 is the year to do it calmly.
Checklist to adapt your laundromat in 2026
- Take inventory. Write down where each payment is generated: kiosk, terminal, coin acceptors, app and business invoices.
- Ask for the statement of compliance. Every invoicing software maker must certify that it meets the regulation. If your provider doesn't have one, you have your answer.
- Unify coins and cards. Every payment should be tied to a machine and a cycle, whatever the payment method.
- Review your business invoicing. Consecutive numbering, issued from a compliant system.
- Choose the mode with your adviser. VERI*FACTU with automatic submission or a signed local record.
- Run a test. Export a month of records and check that they match the bank and the counts.
How PAYMMIO solves it
With Kiosco TNA, your customers pay by card or contactless for any machine in the store from a central screen, and the machines that keep coin payments are included in your invoicing too. If your installation only takes coins, Retrofit records every payment and automates sending the data you need for VeriFactu. Coins, card and contactless end up in a single invoicing record, with no manual counts and no two systems to reconcile.
Every payment reaches PAYMMIO OS instantly, the cloud dashboard where you manage your stores, machines and invoicing, and is prepared for submission to the Tax Agency. If your business customers are asking for e-invoices, read what mandatory e-invoicing changes for a laundromat. And if you still take payments with an old system, read the cost of an outdated payment system.
Frequently asked questions
When does VeriFactu become mandatory for a laundromat?
Under the current calendar, set by Royal Decree-law 15/2025, from 1 January 2027 for companies and from 1 July 2027 for self-employed owners. Check the dates with your adviser, because they have already changed twice.
Do I have to issue a receipt for every wash paid with coins?
It depends on your tax regime and on whether the customer asks for it. What is beyond doubt is that, if you issue a receipt or an invoice, the system that creates it must comply with VeriFactu.
What if the maker of my payment terminal no longer exists?
Your system won't have a statement of compliance or updates. The fine for owning it falls on the business using it, so the solution is to replace it before the obligation takes effect.
Does VeriFactu send my sales to the Tax Agency in real time?
Only in VERI*FACTU mode. In the other mode, records are stored signed in your system and you hand them over if the Tax Agency requests them.