E-receipts for phone shops in Egypt: how to check if you're in

E-receipts are no longer something far away for mobile phone shops. The Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA) brings taxpayers in through waves, and each wave is a decision with a list of named taxpayers. So not every shop starts on the same day.

This isn't legal advice. It's a plain explanation of what has been announced officially, how to check whether your shop is covered, and what to prepare so you aren't caught off guard. The final word is with your accountant and your tax office.

What is an e-receipt?

An e-receipt is the invoice your shop issues to the final consumer, meaning the regular customer who buys a phone or a case. Instead of staying as paper in your drawer, the sale is sent to the ETA system through a POS device or shop software that is connected to it.

It's different from the e-invoice used between businesses, for example when you buy from a registered distributor.

Entry is by waves, through decisions

The system has rolled out in phases. For example, Decision No. 281 of 2025 brought in a new group of taxpayers from 15 September 2025, who had to connect their POS devices or ERP systems to the central system by that date. Decision No. 361 of 2025 then required more taxpayers from 15 November 2025.

The ETA publishes each decision with its attached list, and it also links a lookup to check which taxpayers are covered by the obligation decisions. That's your most important step: search by your business name or tax number.

The revenue threshold changed

According to e-invoicing specialists, Egypt lowered the annual revenue threshold for registering in e-invoicing and e-receipts to EGP 250,000, with compliance due by 31 March 2026. If your shop is tax registered and your revenue is above that, ask your accountant exactly where you stand.

What the shop actually needs

1. Correct tax registration: the shop needs a file with accurate details.
2. A device or software connected to the system: not every cash register app is enough. It has to integrate with the e-receipt system.
3. POS devices registered on the ETA's POS platform, as the ETA asked taxpayers to do in earlier phases.
4. Sending sales on time: one published summary says consumer receipts are reported within 24 to 72 hours of the sale. Confirm your deadline with your accountant.

How a phone shop can prepare before its turn

Even if you're not on a list yet, you can do these now:

• Record every sale at its real price. A shop that sells off the books will struggle once receipts are mandatory.
• Every phone with an IMEI and a purchase invoice. When you know where each device came from and what it cost, your books are ready for any review. Mobilat keeps each device as its own record with its cost and warranty, and the sale receipt shows the IMEI and warranty end.
• Keep customer money apart from shop money. Vodafone Cash and InstaPay transfers aren't income; only the commission is. Cash, wallets and shifts works that out for you.
• Keep the numbers in front of you. Check profit and reports every day so you know your real sales before anyone asks.

Mobilat and e-receipts: know the limits

Mobilat is POS and stock software that prints 80mm receipts on any thermal printer and keeps every movement under the name of whoever made it. But integration with the ETA e-receipt system is not listed among Mobilat's features. So don't assume it replaces the official integration, and ask your accountant or the ETA which device or software is approved for your activity.

What to do today

1. Look up your name in the obligation decisions on the ETA site.
2. Talk to your accountant about your annual revenue and the EGP 250,000 threshold.
3. If you're on a list, ask which devices and software integrate with the system before you buy anything.
4. Tidy your books: stock by IMEI, suppliers, and wallet commissions kept separate.

You can try Mobilat free for 14 days and see how your books look when everything is recorded.