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Compliance

E-invoicing in Germany — the right format, automatically.

Write your invoice as usual. UNENO Invoice issues it to EN 16931 — as ZUGFeRD for your business customers, as XRechnung for public authorities.

  • ZUGFeRD (EN 16931) for German business customers
  • XRechnung 3.0 for authorities — via the Leitweg-ID
  • Included in every plan, at no extra cost
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How it works

Your e-invoice in three steps.

No XML know-how, no extra module — the invoice you already write becomes the e-invoice.

  1. 01

    Switch it on once

    One setting for your whole workspace — for companies based in Germany. From then on, every invoice to a German business or authority goes out as an e-invoice.

  2. 02

    Write the invoice as usual

    Customer, line items, done. Before the invoice gets its number, Invoice checks the e-invoice — and reminds you if the time of supply is missing.

  3. 03

    The right file goes out

    ZUGFeRD for business customers, XRechnung for authorities with a Leitweg-ID — by email or as a download.

Formats

The right format, automatically.

You don’t pick a format. Invoice reads it from the customer when the invoice is issued and keeps it — the Format column shows it on every invoice.

ZUGFeRD

PDF + XML

For business customers in Germany

File
PDF/A-3 with the XML embedded
Standard
EN 16931 profile
Readable by
People and accounting software
When
Automatically, for every German business customer

XRechnung

XML

For public authorities (B2G)

File
XML — no PDF
Standard
XRechnung 3.0, EN 16931
Readable by
The authorities’ invoice systems
When
As soon as the customer has a Leitweg-ID

Private customers and customers abroad keep getting a normal PDF invoice — just as before.

Cancelling an e-invoice? The cancellation invoice is an e-invoice too — a credit note (type 381) that references the original, as ZUGFeRD or XRechnung.

Checked at issue

Checked before it’s issued.

An e-invoice that would be rejected never leaves. Invoice checks it the moment you issue — and tells you exactly what’s missing.

  • Every required field for the format, all listed at once — plus the file’s structure
  • Nothing missing until it passes: the draft stays editable, no number is used
  • The format is fixed when the invoice is issued — switching e-invoicing off later changes nothing
  • A technical hiccup on our side? The invoice goes out as a PDF, marked “as PDF instead of e-invoice” in the send log — never silently; a download that can’t be built as an e-invoice says so instead of handing you a PDF

Received an e-invoice? Check it or open it — free, in your browser:XRechnung viewerE-invoice checker

The law

The e-invoicing mandate, in short.

In Germany, invoices between businesses are moving to e-invoices step by step. With Invoice you already issue them today.

  1. Since 2025

    Every business must be able to receive

    Every German business has to accept e-invoices. An email inbox is enough to receive them. Sending paper or PDF invoices is still allowed.

  2. From 2027

    Larger businesses must send

    Businesses with more than €800,000 turnover in the previous year must issue e-invoices. Smaller ones may still send paper or PDF until the end of 2027.

  3. From 2028

    Every business must send

    From 1 January 2028, every invoice between German businesses has to be an e-invoice — whatever your size.

Not required to issue e-invoices

A short summary, not tax advice. What applies is § 14 UStG — your tax advisor can tell you what it means for your business.

  • Small businesses under § 19 UStG (Kleinunternehmer) — they must still be able to receive
  • Small-amount invoices up to €250
  • Invoices to private customers (B2C)
The rules in full — dates, what counts as an e-invoice, who is exempt
FAQ

Questions about e-invoicing

Short answers to what people ask us most.

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Do I have to issue e-invoices?

Yes, if you invoice other German businesses — from 2027 if your turnover in the previous year was above €800,000, from 2028 whatever your size. Small businesses under § 19 UStG and invoices to private customers are exempt.

What is the difference between ZUGFeRD and XRechnung?

ZUGFeRD is a PDF with the invoice data embedded as XML — readable by people and by accounting software. XRechnung is pure XML without a PDF and is the standard for public authorities. Both follow EN 16931, and Invoice picks the right one for each customer automatically.

Does e-invoicing cost extra?

No. E-invoicing is included in every plan of Invoice — no add-on, no surcharge.

What is a Leitweg-ID?

The Leitweg-ID is a public authority’s address for electronic invoices. You get it from your public-sector client and enter it once on the customer — from then on, Invoice issues XRechnung to that customer.

What if something is missing for the e-invoice?

Invoice checks the e-invoice when you issue it. If a required detail is missing — for XRechnung, for example, your phone number or the customer’s email — the invoice is not issued and you see everything that’s missing at once, with where to add it — your own details under Settings → Business profile. The draft stays editable and no invoice number is used.

Is the cancellation of an e-invoice an e-invoice too?

Yes. Cancelling an e-invoice creates the cancellation invoice as an e-invoice as well — a credit note (type 381) that references the original invoice, as ZUGFeRD or XRechnung like the invoice it cancels.

What happens to issued invoices if I switch e-invoicing off?

Nothing. Each invoice keeps the format it was issued in — PDF, ZUGFeRD or XRechnung — and the Format column in your invoice list shows it. Switching e-invoicing on or off only affects invoices you issue afterwards.

Can I receive e-invoices with UNENO?

To receive e-invoices, an email inbox is legally enough. Reading and processing incoming e-invoices in UNENO is coming with the Expenses app.

Do customers abroad get an e-invoice too?

No. The German e-invoicing mandate covers invoices between businesses in Germany. Customers abroad and private customers keep getting a normal PDF invoice from Invoice. In Invoice, the e-invoicing switch is there for companies based in Germany — and for companies in France, with Factur-X.

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