USP — Unternehmensserviceportal, the federal hub

The Unternehmensserviceportal (USP) is the digital single window for Austrian businesses. Operated by BMF since 2009, it concentrates VAT, social security, international trade, public procurement — and since 2014, the mandatory reception of e-invoices addressed to the Bund under the IKTKonG.

History — from single window to e-invoice hub

• 2007-2008. Interministerial decision to open a digital single window for businesses, under BMF and WKO (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, federal chamber of commerce) co-lead.
• 1 January 2009. Go-live of usp.gv.at. Initial scope: VAT (FinanzOnline link), social security (DataNET), statistics (Statistik Austria), customs formalities.
• 2013-2014. Preparation and activation of the "e-Rechnung an den Bund" module — mandatory federal invoice reception (IKTKonG).
• 2018. PEPPOL connection: USP becomes both the Austrian federal access point (PEPPOL ID 0192:) and the gateway to the European PEPPOL network.
• 2020-2022. UX modernization, introduction of ID Austria as a unified means of identification gradually superseding Bürgerkarte / Handy-Signatur.
• 2024-2026. Preparation for ViDA scenarios (Digital Reporting Requirements) — no domestic RTIR announced, but extension capabilities are being studied.

Authentication — 3 doors to enter

e-invoice submission modes

1. Manual web form. Full invoice capture via a secure HTML form. Ideal for micro-enterprises issuing federal invoices occasionally (10-50 / year). USP generates the ebInterface XML in the backend and injects it into HV-SAP.
2. XML upload. The ERP produces a conformant ebInterface or UBL file, the user uploads it via the USP web UI. Immediate validation, visual feedback.
3. SOAP web service. Direct ERP integration via the e-Rechnung.gv.at API (USP subdomain). Main methods: uploadInvoice, getStatus. Authentication via X.509 client certificate.
4. REST web service (parallel to SOAP since 2020). Same functions, HTTPS+JSON syntax, easier to integrate for modern ERPs.
5. PEPPOL. An external PEPPOL AP (issuer side) sends via the PEPPOL network to the federal USP AP. Mapping is transparent: PEPPOL UBL → internal ebInterface. The Bund recipient sees an invoice in the USP format.

ERP issuer                                   BMF (HV-SAP)
     │                                              ▲
     │ 1. ebInterface or PEPPOL UBL                 │
     │   + Buchungskreis + Bestellnummer            │
     ▼                                              │
┌───────────────────────────────────────┐           │
│        USP — usp.gv.at                │           │
│  - Auth FinanzOnline / Bürgerkarte    │           │
│  - EN 16931 + Buchungskreis check     │           │
│  - Acknowledgment e-Rechnung-ID       │           │
└──────────────┬────────────────────────┘           │
               │ 2. Internal routing                │
               ▼                                    │
        Bund / Ministry ─────────────────────────────
            (receipt, validation, HV-SAP payment)

PEPPOL bridge since 2018

The PEPPOL integration turns USP into a bidirectional gateway:

• PEPPOL receiving. A foreign company (German, French, Italian) issues to the Austrian Bund via its national PEPPOL AP. The Austrian federal SMP routes to USP. USP converts UBL → ebInterface and pushes it into HV-SAP.
• Outbound PEPPOL. An Austrian federal entity (rare — mostly receiving role) can issue to a European PEPPOL recipient. USP signs and publishes via the SMP.
• PEPPOL ID 0192. Identifier Scheme code 0192: originally corresponded to Norway but has been extended in practice to Austrian public sector GLNs. WKO documents the exact convention on peppol.at.
• Conformance. PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0 (and 4.0 since 2024) is aligned with EN 16931 — dual conformance ebInterface 6.x / PEPPOL BIS 3.0 is guaranteed.

Other integrated services

Beyond e-invoicing, USP provides unified access to:

• FinanzOnline: VAT returns (UVA), electronic balance sheets (E-Bilanz), withholding tax (Lohnsteuer).
• DataNET: social security declarations, hiring/leaving, annual statements (L16).
• RGS — Registry Government Services: commercial register (Firmenbuch), association register (Vereinsregister), business licenses (Gewerbeschein).
• WIBIS — Wirtschaftsförderung: public funding requests, grants, Statistik Austria declarations.
• EMCS: Excise Movement and Control System for excise duties (alcohol, tobacco, energy).
• EFRE / IPCEI: European files for regional aid and Important Projects of Common European Interest.

Common pitfalls

• Wrongly delegated account. USP manages fine-grained roles per module. Often, the accountant has access to FinanzOnline but not to "e-Rechnung an den Bund" — explicit delegation is required.
• Confusing USP and FinanzOnline. USP is the envelope, FinanzOnline is one of the modules. FinanzOnline authentication grants USP access, but not vice versa.
• Believing an ESCS certificate is enough for the web service. The e-Rechnung web service requires a certificate issued by a QTSP (Qualified Trust Service Provider) recognised in Austria; the list is on a-trust.at / a-sit.at.
• Forgetting WKO for PEPPOL AP. WKO operates peppol.at which assists non-USP-registered businesses to send/receive via PEPPOL. It is an alternative entry door for B2B use cases.
• Underestimating the size limit. The USP web service caps at 8 MB per submission (XML + attachments). For larger batches, fragment or use PEPPOL AP (different limits).

Cross-links

• Austria hub — mandate overview
• IKTKonG — 2014 legal basis
• ebInterface 6.1 — national format
• FinanzOnline — BMF integration
• BMF — ViDA roadmap
• USP — Unternehmensserviceportal
• e-Rechnung.gv.at — B2G e-invoice portal
• BMF — Federal Ministry of Finance
• peppol.at — WKO national PEPPOL access point