PECR at the Beginning of the Year: Checklist for Checking QES, Business Units, and Licenses in Torgsoft

The beginning of the year is a convenient time to perform a control check of the PECR before the first work shifts, but the transition to a new calendar year itself does not mean that the cash register must be re-registered with the State Tax Service. Do you need to renew the PECR option specifically from January 1, what should you do with a QES that expires in a few weeks or months, do you need to resubmit Forms 20-OPP, 1-PECR and 5-PECR, why are business units not displayed after changing the Sole Proprietorship or adding a new key, and in what sequence should data be updated with the State Tax Service and in Torgsoft? Such situations also occur in real technical support requests: specialists help when replacing a Sole Proprietorship and PECR at a workstation, adding a new key, and when no business units are available for a new Sole Proprietorship.

What to check at the beginning of the year

When working with a PECR, there are several separate things that should not be confused:

• the license for the “Software ECR” option in Torgsoft determines whether fiscalization is available at a specific workstation;

• a QES is used to sign fiscal documents and has its own validity period;

• a business unit is a store, office, warehouse, or another place through which business activities are conducted and for which a PECR is registered;

• Form 20-OPP notifies the State Tax Service about a business unit;

• Form 1-PECR registers or re-registers the software ECR itself;

• Form 5-PECR provides the State Tax Service with information about the QES of the person who will work with the PECR.

The beginning of a new calendar year itself is not a separate reason to resubmit these forms. For example, Form 20-OPP is submitted when a facility is created or opened, as well as when its type, name, location, type of ownership right, or status changes. PECR re-registration is required, in particular, when the name or address of the business unit changes, while a new cashier QES requires a new Form 5-PECR.

Therefore, January 1 is a control date for checking, not a date for automatic PECR re-registration.

The correct sequence of checks

For an operating cash register, it is advisable to start with what can directly stop its operation and then move on to registration data: Torgsoft license → software version → QES → business unit → PECR → cashier → first work shift.

If a change is identified at any stage, first complete the necessary actions with the State Tax Service and only then update the related settings in Torgsoft.

Step 1. Check the license for the “Software ECR” option

Torgsoft licensing and PECR registration with the State Tax Service are different things. A PECR registered with the State Tax Service does not automatically mean that the commercial Torgsoft option is active at a specific workstation. Torgsoft separately emphasizes that cash register registration, option licensing, and the keys of the business and cashiers should not be confused.

For new purchases, the “Software ECR | 1-Year License” option is available. It is paid annually and purchased separately for each device. Users who purchased the option earlier, before Torgsoft switched to the annual subscription model, retain their previously acquired right to use it permanently.

Therefore, at the beginning of the year, check:

1. whether the PECR option is active at every workstation where sales are fiscalized;

2. whether the annual access expiration date is approaching;

3. whether a new workstation has been added that requires a separate option;

4. whether your license belongs to the current annual model or was purchased earlier on a permanent basis.

Annual payment does not mean mandatory renewal specifically on January 1. You need to check the access period of the specific license.

If you need to activate the option for the first time rather than check it, go to the separate guide: How to activate PECR in Torgsoft

Step 2. Check that Torgsoft is up to date before working with QES

This step is especially important following the change in the standard for new QES certificates in 2026.

For new certificates generated using “Kupyna”, you need Torgsoft 2026.0.5 or later and compatible IIT cryptographic libraries. At the same time, an existing valid QES did not need to be reissued solely because of the transition to the new standard: it remains valid until its expiration or revocation.

Therefore, follow this procedure:

• if the current QES is already working, first simply check its expiration date;

• if you are going to obtain a new QES soon, make sure that Torgsoft and the cryptographic components are updated before connecting it;

• do not start replacing keys on all cash registers at the same time without first checking that the workstations are ready.

More about the new standard: New QES from September 1, 2026: what to do to make the software ECR work

Step 3. Check the QES of everyone who works with the PECR

A QES is not tied to the calendar year. Each certificate has its own validity period, so at the beginning of the year you do not need to “replace all keys”; instead, make a list of the QES certificates actually in use and check each one.

For each Sole Proprietorship, manager, and cashier, you need to know:

• who owns the QES;

• which cash registers it is used with;

• when the certificate expires;

• whether the certificate has been revoked or blocked;

• whether the cashier’s current key is registered with the State Tax Service via Form 5-PECR.

The State Tax Service explicitly states that a person conducting transactions through a PECR must use an electronic signature or electronic seal registered for work with that PECR. When the cashier’s QES changes, a new Form 5-PECR must be submitted with the identifier of the new certificate, after which the key should be replaced on the device.

If the QES is still valid

For example, the key expires in April.

In January, you do not need to:

• reissue it solely because of the new year;

• resubmit Form 5-PECR with the same key;

• remove the valid QES from Torgsoft.

You need to record the expiration date and schedule the replacement before that date.

If the QES needs to be replaced

The proper sequence is: close the current shift using the old valid QES → obtain a new QES → register the new certificate with the State Tax Service via Form 5-PECR → wait for acceptance → replace the key in Torgsoft → continue working.

You should not first replace the key file in Torgsoft and then try to determine why the State Tax Service does not allow the cashier to work. The detailed Torgsoft guide specifies the same sequence: first the State Tax Service, then Torgsoft.

Torgsoft technical materials separately describe QES replacement for cases when the validity period expires, the key is revoked, the cashier changes, or the PECR stops signing receipts or opening/closing a shift.

Detailed procedures:

How to check whether the PECR key is valid and replace it in time

Replacing QES for the software ECR in Torgsoft

Step 4. Compare all business units with the actual retail locations

The next step is not to create new business units, but to verify the existing ones.

For each store or other location where a PECR is used, check:

• whether this business unit is still in use;

• whether its name matches;

• whether the address has changed;

• whether the type of right to the facility has changed;

• whether the location has been closed, relocated, or replaced by another one;

• whether the PECR actually used at the cash register is registered for the correct business unit.

Form 20-OPP does not need to be submitted every year if nothing has changed. The State Tax Service requires it when a facility is created or opened, as well as when its details change. A period of 10 working days is established for such events.

If nothing has changed during the year

For example:

• the Sole Proprietorship is the same;

• the store operates at the same address;

• the business unit is active;

• the PECR is registered for this location.

There is no need to resubmit Form 20-OPP simply because a new year has begun.

If the store address or name has changed

Simply editing the address in Torgsoft is not enough.

First, the facility details must be updated with the State Tax Service, and Form 1-PECR marked “Re-registration” must be submitted for the PECR operating at this business unit. There is no need to cancel the PECR registration and create a new one solely because the address has changed.

After completing the actions with the State Tax Service, check that the data in Torgsoft matches.

Step 5. Check the PECR itself for each cash register

After checking the business units, check the registered PECRs.

For each physical workstation, verify:

The State Tax Service registers a PECR for a specific business unit, and the cashier working with it must have a properly declared QES.

Torgsoft, in turn, allows you to select a business unit and the PECR registered for it based on QES data. The complete initial setup procedure is provided in a separate article: Software ECR: where to start

If the PECR is already operating and none of the registration details have changed, there is no need to repeat the initial registration procedure.

Step 6. Check cashiers and Form 5-PECR

For each cashier, ask two questions: "Does this person still work with the PECR?" "Are they using the same QES that is registered with the State Tax Service?"

If neither the cashier nor the key has changed, there is no need to resubmit Form 5-PECR annually.

If:

• a new salesperson has started working;

• the salesperson has been issued a new QES;

• the old key certificate has expired or been revoked;

• the key identifier has changed,

Form 5-PECR and the Torgsoft settings must be brought into line. The State Tax Service explicitly states that when a cashier’s QES changes, a new notification containing the identifier of the new certificate must be submitted.

When one business operates several PECRs simultaneously, the rules for using cashier keys must also be taken into account: the State Tax Service states that separate keys are required for each cash register when two PECRs operate simultaneously.

More about businesses, cashiers, multiple Sole Proprietorships, and licensing: How businesses and salespeople work with PECR and keys

If business units do not appear after adding a new QES

This is one of the issues that actually recurs in Torgsoft technical support requests, particularly when adding a PECR for a new Sole Proprietorship.

The message “No available business units” means that Torgsoft was able to contact the State Tax Service, but the server did not return an available business unit for the QES being used. It may appear after adding a new cashier key, reissuing a QES, or connecting the PECR of another Sole Proprietorship.

In this situation, there is no need to recreate all PECR settings. Check them in sequence: 20-OPP → 1-PECR → 5-PECR for the specific new key → acceptance of the documents by the State Tax Service → update the data in Torgsoft.

If Form 5-PECR has just been accepted, the State Tax Service registers may not update immediately, so resubmitting the same form immediately after receiving a positive receipt is not always necessary.

Detailed diagnostics are provided in a separate guide: “No available business units” when adding a PECR key

If the missing list is accompanied by text such as Error connecting with SSL or tlsv1 alert protocol version, this is a different scenario: first, you need to check the connection to the State Tax Service services rather than resubmitting Form 20-OPP or Form 5-PECR.

What to do depending on the check result

Frequently asked questions from business owners

No. The statutory procedure is tied to registration and changes in data, not to the change of the calendar year. If the business, business unit, PECR, and keys remain the same, there is no need to resubmit Forms 20-OPP, 1-PECR, and 5-PECR solely because a new year has begun.

Not necessarily. Under the current Torgsoft model, it is a one-year license, so you need to check the validity period of your specific paid access. Previously purchased PECR rights that remained permanent after the transition to the subscription model also exist.

No. A valid certificate can be used until it expires or is revoked. However, you should record the date and replace it in advance, preferably before the old shift remains open with an invalid key.

If this resulted in a new certificate with a new key identifier, it must be reported to the State Tax Service via Form 5-PECR. Simply replacing the file in Torgsoft is not enough.

No. First, the business unit data must be updated with the State Tax Service, and the PECR must be re-registered via Form 1-PECR. After that, check the Torgsoft settings.

Do not rush to do so. If Forms 20-OPP, 1-PECR, and 5-PECR have already been successfully accepted, first check the identifier of the new QES and wait for the State Tax Service registers to update. Recreating the same business unit is not the first step.

No. First, the new business entity must have the business unit, PECR, and the keys of the persons conducting settlement transactions properly registered. Only after that should the relevant PECR be connected to the Torgsoft workstation. Requests involving the replacement of a Sole Proprietorship and PECR at a workstation regularly occur in technical support.

Short checklist before the first work shift of the year

Before opening the cash registers, check:

• the Torgsoft PECR option is active at all required workstations;

• the expiration date of each annual license is known;

• the current version of Torgsoft is installed;

• all QES certificates are valid and have not been revoked;

• a compatible version of Torgsoft and the cryptographic libraries is used for new QES certificates;

• the keys of the actual cashiers are registered via Form 5-PECR;

• all actual stores correspond to the business units registered with the State Tax Service;

• the addresses and names of the business units are up to date;

• each PECR belongs to the correct business unit;

• the correct business and PECR are selected at each Torgsoft cash register;

• if the Sole Proprietorship, address, PECR, cashier, or QES changed during the year, the changes were first registered with the State Tax Service and then transferred to Torgsoft.

What sequence to follow if something has changed

At the beginning of the year, it is enough to remember three separate procedures:

Following this sequence prevents the annual check from turning into a complete PECR setup from scratch.