What does e-invoice data bring to SNA and Real-Time Economy?

Abstract Governments are exploring the use of big data to improve economic statistics. Big data is characterized by its large volume, high velocity, and variety of information. In the statistical context, accounting data, particularly e-invoice data, has garnered attention due to its volume and variety.E-invoice data is being digitized in Europe to detect VAT fraud, but it also contains almost all the information on economic entities that make up the SNA.By utilizing accounting data, governments can better understand economic indicators at the firm level.Additionally, the Real-Time Economy is attracting attention worldwide for its ability to speed up statistics and provide real-time updates using frequently updated information like e-invoice data. However, no established method for estimating the SNA with e-invoice data exists. This study explores the benefits of using e-invoice data for economic statistics, especially for Input-Output Tables, and the feasibility and the obstacles associated with using e-invoice data. The advantages of e-invoicing data include the improvement of the granularity of statistical information and the frequency of updating. We also discuss the possibility of understanding inter-industry relations as a logistics network beyond the framework of the existing tables. On the other hand, to use invoice data, it is necessary to design a legal and information system for e-invoice data. As for these institutional and system issues, we compare the situation in Japan and advanced e-Government countries such as Estonia. In addition, there are some problems with the invoice data in estimating the Input-Output Tables, such as the inability to grasp transaction relationships and margins within the same company. This paper pointed up these problems and their solutions.