Wave Integration
UAE E-Invoicing for Wave Users — Export or Migrate with TrustBill
Wave is a free, US/Canada-focused accounting tool for freelancers and micro businesses. It has no PINT-AE output, no FTA link, and no Arabic support. TrustBill gives you a clear path forward: export your Wave data for PINT-AE conversion, or migrate to a UAE-ready accounting app before the 2027 deadlines.
Why Wave is not ready for UAE e-invoicing
Wave is built for North American freelancers and small service businesses. Its chart of accounts, tax codes, and invoicing templates are centred on US/Canada requirements, not UAE VAT or FTA reporting.
**No PINT-AE output** — Wave cannot generate the UBL 2.1-based PINT-AE XML that the FTA e-invoicing mandate requires.
**No FTA or Peppol connection** — There is no native integration to the UAE FTA, a Peppol access point, or an accredited service provider (ASP).
**No Arabic language fields** — PINT-AE expects supplier and buyer legal names in Arabic alongside Latin script, which Wave does not support.
**No TRN validation** — Wave does not validate UAE Tax Registration Numbers (TRNs) or enforce the 10-digit TIN format used for e-invoicing.
Because of these gaps, Wave alone cannot make a business FTA-compliant. You must either export data to an ASP or move to a UAE-ready accounting system.
What the UAE FTA e-invoicing mandate requires
The UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) and Ministry of Finance have made electronic invoicing mandatory for B2B and B2G transactions under Ministerial Decisions 243 and 244 of 2025, with detailed technical rules published in 2026.
**PINT-AE XML** — The mandatory format is the UAE-specific Peppol PINT-AE e-invoice, based on UBL 2.1. PDFs, Word files, scanned copies, and email attachments are not e-invoices.
**Mandatory data** — Every electronic invoice must include a unique sequential number, issue date, seller and buyer TRN, line items, VAT rate and amount, totals, and Arabic legal names.
**Accredited Service Provider** — Invoices must be routed through an FTA-accredited ASP connected to the Peppol or DCTCE network.
**Deadlines** — Businesses with revenue of AED 50 million or more must be live by **1 January 2027**. All other businesses, including most SMEs and government suppliers, must comply by **1 July 2027**.
Compliance options for Wave users
Wave users have two practical paths to FTA e-invoicing compliance before the 2027 deadlines.
**Option 1 — Export and use an ASP** — Keep using Wave for bookkeeping, export invoices and customer data to a structured CSV, and have an ASP such as TrustBill convert and validate the data into PINT-AE XML before submission. This works for low invoice volumes and interim periods.
**Option 2 — Migrate to a UAE-ready accounting app** — Switch to an accounting platform that already supports UAE VAT, Arabic fields, TRN validation, and native PINT-AE output. This is usually the best long-term choice if most of your sales are B2B or B2G.
The right choice depends on invoice volume, buyer mix, and how much manual work you are willing to manage each month.
How TrustBill works with Wave data
TrustBill does not connect directly to Wave through a native API, but it can turn your Wave exports into FTA-compliant e-invoices.
**Export from Wave** — Download invoices, customers, payments, and account activity as CSV or PDF from your Wave account.
**Upload and map** — Import the structured CSV into TrustBill and map buyer, seller, line item, VAT, and TRN fields to the PINT-AE data dictionary.
**Validate and submit** — TrustBill checks the data for missing TRNs, incorrect VAT categories, and Arabic-name gaps, then converts it to PINT-AE XML and submits it through an accredited ASP.
**Track status** — Monitor every invoice as pending, submitted, accepted, or rejected, and auto-populate your VAT 201 return draft.
Wave CSV column → PINT-AE mapping
The mapping TrustBill applies when converting a Wave invoice CSV export to PINT-AE XML. Column names below match Wave's standard invoice CSV export. Add supplementary columns (buyer_trn, buyer_country, etc.) manually before uploading — Wave does not natively emit these UAE-specific fields.
| Wave CSV column | PINT-AE / UBL 2.1 field | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice Number | cbc:ID | Wave's sequential invoice number. Must be unique. |
| Invoice Date | cbc:IssueDate | ISO date. |
| buyer_trn (add manually) | cac:AccountingCustomerParty/cac:PartyTaxScheme/cbc:CompanyID | Buyer TRN — 15 digits. Wave does not have a TRN field; add as a CSV column. |
| Seller TRN (from TrustBill Settings) | cac:AccountingSupplierParty/cac:PartyTaxScheme/cbc:CompanyID | Set once in TrustBill; not carried in the CSV. |
| Item Name / Description | cac:InvoiceLine/cbc:Description | Line-item text. |
| Quantity × Unit Price | cbc:LineExtensionAmount, cac:Price/cbc:PriceAmount | PINT-AE reconstructs line total. |
| line_tax_category (add manually) | cac:ClassifiedTaxCategory (S=5%, Z=0%, E=exempt, O=out-of-scope) | Wave uses percentage rates; TrustBill maps to PINT-AE category. |
| Currency | cbc:DocumentCurrencyCode | AED for domestic. |
Common Wave CSV → PINT-AE validation errors
The most-hit validation errors when a Wave CSV row fails PINT-AE checks, with the exact fix in Wave or in the CSV before upload.
| Error code | Meaning | Fix in Wave / CSV |
|---|---|---|
| PAE-BR-01 | Buyer TRN missing. | Wave does not have a TRN field. Add a buyer_trn column to your exported CSV before uploading. Set the value to the 15-digit UAE TRN. |
| PAE-BR-04 | Seller TRN missing. | Set your TRN once in TrustBill → Settings → Company. Wave has no TRN field to populate. |
| PAE-BR-11 | Line-total mismatch. | Edit the invoice in Wave, correct Quantity or Unit Price rounding, re-export. |
| PAE-BR-12 | Wave tax rate not mapped to a PINT-AE category. | TrustBill → Settings → Tax Mapping. Map each Wave tax (e.g. UAE VAT 5%) to a PINT-AE category (S / Z / E / O). |
| PAE-BR-14 | Non-AED currency without FX rate. | Add an fx_rate column to your CSV before uploading if the invoice is not in AED. |
| PAE-BR-21 | Credit note not linked to parent. | In Wave, create the refund/credit against the source invoice. Add parent_invoice_id column to the CSV with the source UUID. |
| PAE-BR-22 | Advance-payment invoice not linked. | Add an advance_uuid column and populate with the advance-invoice UUID. |
| PAE-BR-31 | Free-zone flag set without supply-place code. | Add a free_zone column to the CSV row and set to TRUE. Ensure the customer's address in Wave is the free-zone address. |
Micro-business support and the 2027 deadlines
E-invoicing is not limited to large companies. Any person conducting business in the UAE may be in scope for B2B and B2G transactions, including freelancers, consultants, and one-person companies.
**Large taxpayers** — Revenue of AED 50 million or more: mandatory from **1 January 2027**.
**SMEs and others** — Revenue below AED 50 million: mandatory from **1 July 2027**.
**Free tier for micro businesses** — TrustBill offers a free tier with up to 50 e-invoices per month, making it a practical starting point for freelancers and micro businesses that need an affordable compliance option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Wave do UAE e-invoicing out of the box?
No. Wave is a US/Canada-focused accounting tool. It does not generate PINT-AE XML, connect to the FTA, support Arabic fields, or validate UAE TRNs. You need an accredited ASP or a different accounting system.
Should I migrate from Wave before the e-invoicing deadline?
If you issue mostly B2B or B2G invoices, migration is usually the cleanest long-term path. If you only have a few B2B invoices, exporting to an ASP like TrustBill can work as an interim solution.
What data can I export from Wave for PINT-AE conversion?
You can export customer lists, invoices, payments, and account transactions from Wave as CSV or PDF. For PINT-AE conversion you need structured data with invoice numbers, dates, buyer and seller details, TRN, line items, VAT rates, and totals.
How long does setup take?
A TrustBill account can be ready in minutes. Mapping a Wave CSV export and validating the first PINT-AE invoice typically takes a few hours the first time, then only minutes per batch once the mapping is saved.
Does TrustBill support micro businesses and freelancers?
Yes. TrustBill's free tier covers up to 50 e-invoices per month, which suits freelancers and micro businesses that need affordable FTA-compliant e-invoicing.