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Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction​

Legal Storage is the service for legally compliant preservation (conservazione sostitutiva) of your documents.
It guarantees the authenticity, integrity, reliability, readability and retrievability of each document over time, and enables the retention of your documents for legal purposes.
All preserved documents are available in the legal preservation management software provided by our accredited preservation provider, Intesi/ewitness.
Legal Storage - Preservation API (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/preservation/)
Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/)

note

Digital archive is a completely different service and should not be confused with Legal Storage; it simply involves recording and storing the document on a digital medium so that it can be retrieved at a later date (it is an organised archiving system). It does not confer legal validity on the document and does not guarantee its long-term preservation.

What is the difference between “Legal Storage - Preservation API” and “Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT”?​

Legal Storage is A-Cube’s legally compliant preservation service (conservazione sostitutiva). It is offered in two forms:

  • Legal Storage - Preservation API: legal preservation of documents belonging to the many supported document classes (classi documentali), e.g. Contratti Clienti (customer contracts), Contratti Fornitori (supplier contracts), Contratti Dipendenti (employee contracts), Ordini (orders), DDT - Documenti di trasporto (delivery notes), Buste Paga Dipendenti (employee payslips). You send each document, with its metadata, through the Preservation API. (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/preservation/)
  • Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT: legal preservation linked exclusively to the “Electronic invoicing IT” product. It covers only the electronic invoices exchanged through the SdI with A-Cube, which are sent to preservation automatically. (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/)

Q & A​

Legal Storage - Preservation API​

Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT covers only the electronic invoices of the “Electronic invoicing IT” product.
To preserve other document classes (classi documentali), e.g. Contratti Clienti (customer contracts), Contratti Fornitori (supplier contracts), Contratti Dipendenti (employee contracts), Ordini (orders), DDT - Documenti di trasporto (delivery notes), Buste Paga Dipendenti (employee payslips), you need Legal Storage - Preservation API.

Which document classes (classi documentali) are supported?​

Legal Storage - Preservation API supports 21 document classes (classi documentali). Each class has its own endpoint /preserved-documents/it/{document-type}:

  • Fatture (invoices) - fatture
  • DDT - Documenti di trasporto (delivery notes) - ddt
  • Nota Spese (expense reports) - nota-spese
  • Buste Paga Dipendenti (employee payslips) - buste-paga-dipendenti
  • Contratti Clienti / Contratti Fornitori / Contratti Dipendenti (customer / supplier / employee contracts) - contratti-clienti, contratti-fornitori, contratti-dipendenti
  • Ordini Clienti / Ordini Fornitori (customer / supplier orders) - ordini-clienti, ordini-fornitori
  • NSO Cliente / NSO Fornitore (customer / supplier orders via NSO, Nodo di Smistamento degli Ordini) - nso-cliente, nso-fornitore
  • Libro Giornale (general journal) - libro-giornale
  • Libro Cespiti (fixed asset register) - libro-cespiti
  • Registro IVA Acquisti / Registro IVA Vendite (purchase / sales VAT register) - registro-iva-acquisti, registro-iva-vendite
  • Registro Liquidazione IVA (VAT settlement register) - registro-liquidazione-iva
  • Registro Volontari (volunteer register) - registro-volontari
  • PDD - Pacchetto di Distribuzione (distribution package) - pdd
  • PEC - Posta Elettronica Certificata (certified email) - pec
  • RENTRI (national electronic register for waste traceability) - rentri
  • Manuale della Conservazione (preservation manual) - manuale-conservazione
    (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/preservation/ )

Are there APIs to download the preserved files (invoices and notifications)?​

With Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT, the preserved invoices and notifications cannot be downloaded via API: they are available in your personal area on the preservation portal provided by the preservation provider.
The only document available via API is the receipt sent back by the preservation provider once it has taken the invoice in charge, an XML document that certifies the preservation: you can get it by invoking the API GET /preserved-documents/{uuid}/receipt. See Users hierarchy and user activation.

With Legal Storage - Preservation API, you can download via API the preservation receipt (PDF or XML) and the original file you sent. The original file is retrieved from A-Cube's storage, not from the preservation provider's system: to access the documents in the preservation system, use the preservation portal (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/preservation/).

Where can I view, and how can I check, the RENTRI documents sent to preservation?​

RENTRI documents are preserved with Legal Storage - Preservation API. There are two levels of access:

Preservation receipt: you can download it in PDF or XML format.

  • From the A-Cube dashboard: open “Preservation” > “Documents”, filter by the RENTRI document type and use the “Download Receipt PDF” or “Download Receipt XML” icons. The icons appear only when the document is in the stored status, that is, once the preservation provider has taken it in charge.
  • Via API: GET /preserved-documents/it/rentri/{uuid}/receipt, with the Accept header set to application/pdf or application/xml (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/preservation/).

Preserved document: it is available only in the preservation portal of the preservation provider, at https://acube.ewitness.eu/documentale/auth/login.
From the A-Cube dashboard and via API (GET /preserved-documents/it/rentri/{uuid}/original-document) you can also download the original file you sent. The file is retrieved from A-Cube's storage, not from the preservation provider's system.

If the relationship is terminated, how are the exhibition and export of the archival information package (Pacchetto di Archiviazione, PdA) to the owner carried out? In particular: export format, presence of the archival information package index, method (API, portal, physical media), timing, any costs, and how long the documents remain accessible after termination?​

The customer can access the preservation portal of the preservation provider by logging in at https://acube.ewitness.eu/documentale/auth/login.
Documents in the preservation system are accessed from the portal: access via API is not provided.
The download can be carried out independently from the portal. At this stage, you can check the format and the package index.
Other methods, such as physical media, must be agreed directly with the preservation provider: A-Cube is not involved in these aspects, so any condition of interest must be requested from the preservation provider.
Any other conditions are those set out in the contract in force between the parties.

Our customer need to preserve received invoices as well as issued ones, but according to your docs, tipologia_di_flusso accepts only "E" and "U", which your docs define as "outgoing" and "internal".​

Q: Which value should we use for a received invoice?
A: Use E (incoming document). The invoice is preserved as a received invoice (Fatture elettroniche passive).

Q: And for an issued invoice?
A: Use U (outgoing document). The invoice is preserved as an issued invoice (Fatture elettroniche attive).

Q: For a received invoice, should “soggetto_che_effettua_la_registrazione” be the recipient (the archiving legal entity), and “mittente” the external supplier?
A: Yes. For a received invoice:

“soggetto_che_effettua_la_registrazione”: your organisation, i.e. the owner of the document that received it; “mittente”: the supplier that issued the invoice; “destinatario”: your organisation.
The field in our API reference: (“E” is incoming, “U” is outgoing)

It depends on the package you subscribed to. The details are always set out in the order form / “Annex A” you signed when entering into the agreement.

No. Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT only lets you send to preservation the electronic invoices of the “Electronic invoicing IT” product. To preserve other document classes (classi documentali), you need Legal Storage - Preservation API (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/preservation/).

In the eWitness preservation portal, when I open the electronic invoice I want to view, I can’t see its PDF. Why?​

Because what is preserved is the electronic invoice file (XML, or P7M if signed) together with the SdI notifications. The PDF is not sent to preservation: the document with tax validity is the XML file. For a human-readable version, open the XML file with an electronic invoice viewer.

How do I know whether a document has actually been taken in charge by the preservation provider?​

Check the status field of the PreservedDocument: it is to_be_stored when created, sent once it has been transmitted to the preservation provider, and stored once the preservation provider has taken it in charge and sent back the related receipt. If an error occurs during the process, status is set to error and the message field contains the error returned by the preservation provider. See Flow for the full lifecycle.

What is preserved?​

For the invoices you issue: the invoice file (XML or signed P7M) together with all the related notifications received from the SdI. Invoices rejected by the SdI (NS notification) are not preserved. For the invoices you receive, including extra-SdI invoices: the invoice file only. See Invoices for when each invoice is sent to preservation.

Check via API
Read the VAT number configuration with GET /business-registry-configurations/{fiscalId} (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/api/gov-it/api-business-registry-configurations-fiscal-id-get) and check two fields:

  • apply_legal_storage: must be true. It means you have requested Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT for that VAT number. You can set it when you create the configuration, or update it with PUT /business-registry-configurations/{fiscalId} (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/api/gov-it/api-business-registry-configurations-fiscal-id-put);
  • legal_storage_active: becomes true once the preservation provider has taken the activation request in charge. From then on, the service is active. This field is read-only.

If email_for_preservation_requested_at is set, the preservation provider has requested an email address for that VAT number: add it with PUT.

Check from the A-Cube dashboard
Open "Business registry" and use the "Legal storage activated" filter to see the VAT numbers for which Legal Storage is active. The "Legal storage" column only shows whether Legal Storage has been requested. You can request it by editing the VAT number and selecting "Apply legal storage".

Sending invoices to preservation
With the service active, invoices are sent to preservation automatically. To send a single invoice to preservation, for example one issued before activation, use POST /invoices/{uuid}/preserve (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/api/gov-it/api-invoice-preserve).
For invoices that did not go through A-Cube, use Legal Storage - Preservation API instead, with the Fatture (invoices) document class (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/preservation/).

Checking a single invoice from the A-Cube dashboard
Open the invoice details and select the "preservation" tab. The "Status" field shows the preservation status. Once the preservation provider has taken the invoice in charge, the date appears in "Received at" and you can download the receipt with "Download receipt". If the invoice has not been sent to preservation yet, you can send it with the "Invoice to preservation" button.
The preserved document is not available in the A-Cube dashboard: you can find it in the preservation portal of the preservation provider.

From your personal area provided by the preservation provider. See Users hierarchy and user activation.

Open a technical support ticket: we will start the credential reset procedure, which will give you access to the preservation portal.
Please note: the email is sent to the address set in the Business Registry Configuration (BRC) of the VAT number. Before opening the ticket, check that the address is correct and that the message has not ended up in the spam folder.

I am a reseller and one of my customers says they did not receive the access credentials. What should I do?​

Open a technical support ticket: we will start the credential reset procedure, which will give your customer access to the preservation portal.
Please note: the email is sent to the address set in the Business Registry Configuration (BRC) of your customer's VAT number. Before opening the ticket, check that the address is correct.

HowTo

important

When a customer activates Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT, they will receive one email with a link. It is sent only once, at the time of activation. The link is valid for a limited time, set by the preservation provider. We recommend using it as soon as the email is received. The customer must click the link to make the service operational. The email goes to the address set in the entity's BRC (Business Registry Configuration). Make sure the mailbox has enough free space, is active, and does not mark the message as spam.

Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT (conservazione sostitutiva) is activated for each individual VAT number, on the configuration of that VAT number (Business Registry Configuration). For each customer, follow these steps.

  1. Account prerequisite Legal Storage must be enabled on your A-Cube account. If it is not, the per-VAT-number flag has no effect.

  2. Configuration of the customer’s VAT number Create the configuration with POST /business-registry-configurations, or update it with PUT /business-registry-configurations/{fiscalId}. Set:

fiscal_id: the customer’s VAT number or fiscal code, without the country prefix; apply_legal_storage: true. The default value is null, which does not activate Legal Storage: true must be set explicitly; email: the end customer’s address. The preservation provider sends the email that activates access to the preservation portal to this address. In the portal, the customer can see their own documents. As the main account, you can see the documents of all your customers. (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/users-hierarchy)

  1. Activation When you save a configuration with apply_legal_storage: true and the email set, the platform automatically sends the activation request to the preservation provider. The legal_storage_active field of the configuration becomes true once the preservation provider has taken the request in charge.

If the preservation provider receives documents for a VAT number without an email, you receive the legal-storage-missing-vat webhook containing the configuration. You then just need to update it with PUT, adding the email.

(See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/webhooks)

  1. Which invoices are preserved, and when From activation onwards:

Issued invoices are sent to preservation after the delivery receipt (RC) or the failed delivery notification (MC). For invoices to the Public Administration, after NE, DT or AT. Received invoices are sent as soon as they arrive. Single submission: you can decide invoice by invoice with the X-Apply-LegalStorage: true|false header when sending an issued invoice. The header takes precedence over the VAT number setting. For each document you receive the legal-storage-receipt webhook. You can download the receipt with GET /preserved-documents/{uuid}/receipt.

(See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/invoices)

  1. Invoices prior to activation Activation is not retroactive: the platform decides whether to preserve an invoice at the moment the invoice is sent or received. Earlier invoices must be sent to preservation with POST /invoices/{uuid}/preserve. This submission is also asynchronous, and the outcome arrives with the legal-storage-receipt webhook.

(See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/flow)

  1. Webhooks per customer The legal-storage-missing-vat and legal-storage-receipt webhooks can also be configured on the individual VAT number. For that event, the VAT number configuration replaces the account configuration: the two are not combined.

  2. Sandbox In the sandbox there is no real preservation provider: the activation request is not sent and no email is sent. You can simulate the two webhooks with:

POST /simulate/legal-storage-missing-vat/{fiscalId} POST /simulate/legal-storage-receipt/{invoiceUuid} (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/sandbox/sim-legal-storage-mvat)

Legal Storage for Electronic invoicing IT (conservazione sostitutiva) is activated on the configuration of your VAT number (Business Registry Configuration). Follow these steps.

  1. Account prerequisite Legal Storage must be enabled on your A-Cube account. If it is not, the VAT number flag has no effect.

  2. Configuration of your VAT number Create the configuration with POST /business-registry-configurations, or update it with PUT /business-registry-configurations/{fiscalId}. Set:

fiscal_id: your company’s VAT number or fiscal code, without the country prefix; apply_legal_storage: true. The default value is null, which does not activate Legal Storage: true must be set explicitly; email: the address that will receive the email to activate access to the preservation portal, where you can see your preserved documents. (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/users-hierarchy)

  1. Activation When you save the configuration with apply_legal_storage: true and the email set, the platform automatically sends the activation request to the preservation provider. The legal_storage_active field of the configuration becomes true once the preservation provider has taken the request in charge.

If the preservation provider receives your documents before an email has been set, you receive the legal-storage-missing-vat webhook containing the configuration. You then just need to update it with PUT, adding the email.

(See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/webhooks)

  1. Which invoices are preserved, and when From activation onwards:

Issued invoices are sent to preservation after the delivery receipt (RC) or the failed delivery notification (MC). For invoices to the Public Administration, after NE, DT or AT. Received invoices are sent as soon as they arrive. Single submission: you can decide invoice by invoice with the X-Apply-LegalStorage: true|false header when sending an issued invoice. The header takes precedence over the VAT number setting. For each document you receive the legal-storage-receipt webhook. You can download the receipt with GET /preserved-documents/{uuid}/receipt.

(See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/invoices)

  1. Invoices prior to activation Activation is not retroactive: the platform decides whether to preserve an invoice at the moment the invoice is sent or received. Earlier invoices must be sent to preservation with POST /invoices/{uuid}/preserve. This submission is also asynchronous, and the outcome arrives with the legal-storage-receipt webhook.

(See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/legal-storage/flow)

  1. Sandbox In the sandbox there is no real preservation provider: the activation request is not sent and no email is sent. You can simulate the two webhooks with:

POST /simulate/legal-storage-missing-vat/{fiscalId} POST /simulate/legal-storage-receipt/{invoiceUuid} (See documentation: https://docs.acubeapi.com/documentation/italy/gov-it/sandbox/sim-legal-storage-mvat)

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