E-Invoicing Integration: XRechnung and ZUGFeRD in Your Systems

For many small businesses, the solution their accounting program already includes is enough. A custom e-invoicing integration is worthwhile when invoices come from an ERP, shop or in-house development or when incoming invoices are to be processed automatically. Individual connections are possible in the Starter package from €2,500, sending and receiving with an approval workflow more likely in the Professional package from €8,000 – the exact quote follows after the free initial consultation.

As things currently stand, e-invoices in Germany are not transmitted to the tax office but exchanged directly between invoice issuer and recipient. An electronic reporting system is being prepared at EU level but has not yet been introduced in Germany. We plan your integration so that later extensions remain possible; your tax advisor can clarify the current status.

The e-invoice is handed over to accounting together with its XML file, so invoice data doesn't have to be re-entered. For the handover to DATEV, we use the official DATEV formats and interfaces and align the exact route with your tax firm – for example, whether it works with DATEV Unternehmen online.

Businesses have had to be able to receive e-invoices in domestic B2B transactions since January 1, 2025. For sending, paper invoices and – with the recipient's consent – other electronic formats such as PDF remain permitted until the end of 2026, and until the end of 2027 for businesses with prior-year revenue of up to €800,000; from 2028, the obligation generally applies to everyone. Exceptions exist, for example for small-amount invoices up to €250, and this overview does not replace tax advice.

No. An e-invoice is a structured data set under EN 16931, such as an XRechnung or a ZUGFeRD invoice from version 2.0.1, whose data can be evaluated by machine. A plain PDF file counts as an other invoice (sonstige Rechnung) and is only permitted within the transitional rules.

Generating e-invoices from a single system is often done within a few weeks if the invoice data is complete there. The receiving process with approvals and the tests with business partners usually take more time. After the initial assessment, you will receive a realistic schedule.