🇩🇪 Germany E-Invoicing

Germany E-Invoicing Compliance

Germany mandates XRechnung for B2G e-invoicing. B2B mandate starts January 2025. Get compliant with XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, and Peppol through GoRoute.ai. If you trade across the border, Belgium’s B2B mandate is already live and fully enforced.

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Germany E-Invoicing Status

B2G (XRechnung) Mandatory
B2B Receive Jan 2025
B2B Send Jan 2027
Formats XRechnung / ZUGFeRD
Regulatory Timeline

Germany E-Invoicing Mandates

2020

B2G Mandate

Federal authorities required to receive XRechnung format e-invoices.

Jan 2025

B2B Receive

All businesses must be able to receive structured e-invoices.

Jan 2027

B2B Large

Large enterprises (>€800k turnover) must send e-invoices.

Jan 2028

B2B All

All B2B transactions require structured e-invoices.

German E-Invoice Formats

📄

XRechnung

Germany's national CIUS (Core Invoice Usage Specification) for EN16931. Pure XML format (UBL or CII). Required for all B2G invoices.

  • EN16931 compliant
  • Peppol network ready
  • KoSIT validation
📎

ZUGFeRD 2.1

Hybrid PDF/A-3 format with embedded XML. Human-readable PDF with machine-readable data. Identical to Factur-X.

  • PDF + XML hybrid
  • XRechnung profile
  • Email distribution

Complete Germany E-Invoicing Solution

XRechnung 3.0

Full XRechnung validation with KoSIT validator rules and Schematron checks.

ZUGFeRD 2.1

Generate hybrid PDF/XML invoices with XRechnung profile for B2B transactions.

German USt

Proper German VAT rates (0%, 7%, 19%) with reverse charge and intra-EU handling.

Peppol Network

Direct connection to Peppol network for routing to German public authorities.

Leitweg-ID

Automatic Leitweg-ID routing for German federal and state authorities.

Audit Compliance

GoBD-compliant archiving and audit trails for German tax requirements.

Ready for Germany E-Invoicing?

Get compliant with XRechnung B2G and prepare for the 2025-2028 B2B mandate.

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Official source: the Federal Ministry of Finance — which sets Germany's e-invoicing rules. Always confirm current obligations against the authority directly.

Germany E-Invoicing FAQ

What is XRechnung?

XRechnung is Germany's national e-invoice standard based on EN16931. It's a pure XML format (UBL or CII) required for invoicing German public authorities. KoSIT maintains the specification and validator.

When is B2B e-invoicing mandatory?

From January 2025, all businesses must be able to receive e-invoices. Large enterprises must send e-invoices from 2027, and all businesses from 2028. Paper invoices will still be accepted until 2027.

What is a Leitweg-ID?

Leitweg-ID is a German routing identifier used to route e-invoices to the correct public authority. It consists of a hierarchy code identifying federal/state level and the receiving entity.

What's the difference between XRechnung and ZUGFeRD?

XRechnung is pure XML (UBL/CII) required for B2G. ZUGFeRD 2.1 is a hybrid PDF+XML format that can contain an XRechnung-profile XML. ZUGFeRD is often used for B2B as it's easier to distribute via email.