Srilanka, Aug. 16 -- The revised Value Added Tax (VAT) invoice format will become mandatory from October 1, 2026, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced.

The department has issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification setting out the requirements for implementing the revised invoice format.

The new format was initially scheduled to come into effect on July 1, 2026. However, implementation was postponed to give businesses and taxpayers additional time to update their accounting and billing systems.

The revised invoice format was introduced on March 27 as part of efforts to streamline digital tax collection and improve transparency within the tax system.

The IRD said businesses had requested more time to make the necessary c...