If your company sells in Malaysia, e-Invoicing is no longer optional. The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) is rolling out mandatory e-Invoicing in phases, and in 2026 it finally reaches the small and mid-sized businesses where most foreign-owned Sdn Bhd companies sit. Here is exactly where you stand and what to do before your deadline.
The LHDN e-Invoice timeline at a glance
Your mandatory start date depends on your annual turnover. The current rollout looks like this:
| Phase | Annual turnover | Mandatory from |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Above RM100 million | 1 August 2024 |
| Phase 2–3 | RM5 million – RM100 million | 2025 |
| Phase 4 | Up to RM5 million (above RM1 million) | 1 January 2026 |
| Phase 5 | All remaining smaller businesses | 1 July 2026 |
The six-month relaxation period — use it well
LHDN grants each phase a six-month relaxation period to ease the transition. During this window you can:
- Issue consolidated e-invoices for all transactions, including B2B — instead of one validated e-invoice per transaction;
- Use more flexible product and service descriptions;
- Operate with no penalties under Section 120 of the Income Tax Act 1967 for non-compliance.
For Phase 4 businesses, this relaxation has been extended to 31 December 2026 — but treat it as a runway to get your systems right, not a reason to delay.
What a foreign-owned company must actually do
e-Invoicing is a systems project, not just a tax form. The practical checklist:
- Confirm your phase by checking annual turnover against the table above.
- Register on MyInvois (LHDN's portal) or connect your accounting/POS system to the MyInvois API via approved middleware.
- Clean your master data — your TIN, SST registration, customer TINs, and standard product/service classifications must all be in order.
- Handle self-billed e-Invoices — a point foreign companies often miss. When you pay an overseas supplier (e.g. your parent company for management fees or imported services), you may need to issue a self-billed e-Invoice to document the expense for tax.
- Train finance staff on B2B vs B2C consolidated invoicing and the validation workflow.
Why this matters beyond compliance
A validated e-Invoice is what substantiates your tax deductions. Get the data wrong and you risk disallowed expenses, cash-flow friction with customers who need valid invoices, and penalties once the relaxation period ends. Done properly, e-Invoicing also gives you cleaner, real-time financial data — useful when you are reporting back to an overseas head office.
ONEKEY BIZ helps foreign-owned companies map their phase, set up MyInvois, integrate accounting software and run the whole compliance workflow. Talk to our finance & compliance team before your deadline rather than after.
Frequently asked questions
Does a foreign-owned company in Malaysia need e-Invoicing?
Yes. The mandate applies by annual turnover, not nationality of ownership. Once your turnover reaches your phase threshold (Phase 4 from 1 January 2026, Phase 5 from 1 July 2026), your Malaysian company must issue validated e-Invoices through MyInvois.
Is my business exempt if turnover is below RM1 million?
From 1 January 2026 the exemption threshold rose from RM500,000 to RM1 million, so businesses below RM1 million in annual sales are currently exempt. This can change, so review your status as revenue grows.
What is a self-billed e-Invoice and why does it matter for foreign companies?
When you pay an overseas supplier — for example your parent company for management fees or imported services — you may need to issue a self-billed e-Invoice to document the expense for Malaysian tax. Foreign-owned companies often overlook this.
Sources & references
This article is general information only, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Policies, thresholds and official fees are set by the relevant Malaysian authorities and may change. Talk to our consultants about your specific situation.