Germany

In Germany, e-invoicing is mandatory and regulated by the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF — Bundesministerium der Finanzen). E-invoices can be transmitted via multiple channels like email, API, service providers, or the Peppol network. All e-invoices must comply with EN 16931, which is satisfied by XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, or Peppol BIS 3.0 Billing, and must be archived for 8 years in the electronically compliant format (§14b UStG).

This page covers the Germany-specific requirements that complement the General Step-by-step Integration. Make sure you have the following taxpayer information ready before proceeding:

• vat_id_number — VAT identification number (Umsatzsteuer-ID)
• credentials.tax_number — tax number in ELSTER format (Steuernummer)
• name — registered legal name and trade name of the company or individual
• address — registered legal address of the company or individual