Implementing e-invoicing
By Redaktion techport.ai, IT-Beratung · Last updated on
The electronic invoice is the topic where a legal obligation lands directly on the systems. Unlike many other requirements, a policy is not enough here: either your system can receive, process, produce and archive a structured invoice, or it cannot.
The obligation arrives in stages, and the remaining time is tighter than it looks, because implementation in a grown system landscape touches several parties: ERP, finance, archive, approval workflows and the communication with customers and suppliers.
How you notice it
- Incoming structured invoices get printed and handled as before.
- It is unclear which format your largest customers expect.
- Archiving stores the visual representation rather than the structured file.
- Invoice approval runs by email and is not represented in the system.
Why this happens
The obligation to receive has applied since the beginning of 2025 and could be met formally with little effort. That made the topic look settled although the actual conversion only begins then: sending structured invoices, processing incoming ones automatically and archiving in the correct form. Because the deadlines for sending come later, the topic drops down the priority list, and the effort of adapting a grown ERP is underestimated.
How we go about it
- Assess the current state per direction. We check separately for incoming and outgoing what your systems can do today: receive, read, validate, post, approve, produce, send, archive. From that follows the actual need for action.
- Set formats and channels. We clarify which formats you support and which your business partners expect, and define the transmission channels. The governing standard is the European norm EN 16931, implemented in Germany primarily through XRechnung and ZUGFeRD.
- Automate the processing. We set up incoming processing so that structured data is taken over rather than retyped, with checks against purchase order and goods receipt and an approval that runs in the system.
- Secure archiving and evidence. We ensure the structured file is archived unalterably as the original and describe the procedure in the process documentation.
What you gain
- Compliance at each deadline without an improvised workaround.
- Markedly less manual entry in accounts payable.
- Shorter throughput times and therefore better use of early payment discounts.
From our projects
Most companies treat e-invoicing as a compliance topic and overlook the economic part. The actual benefit sits in the incoming direction: when structured data is taken over, entry disappears, the check against the purchase order runs automatically and the approval becomes traceable. In companies with high document volumes that is the largest automation lever in the commercial area. The second recurring finding: archiving is frequently set up incorrectly. What gets archived is the visual representation, while the structured file is the original. That only shows up during an audit.
Good to know
Since 1 January 2025, domestic companies in Germany have had to be able to receive electronic invoices in the B2B area. For sending, transitional rules apply: until the end of 2026 other formats remain permissible with the recipient's consent. From 1 January 2027 the obligation to send applies to companies with more than 800,000 euros in total turnover in the preceding calendar year, smaller companies have until the end of 2027. From 1 January 2028 the obligation applies in principle to all domestic B2B transactions. Only structured formats complying with EN 16931 count as an e-invoice. A PDF without structured data is not an e-invoice. The general retention obligations apply, and it is the structured file that has to be retained.
Häufige Fragen
Is ZUGFeRD enough or do we need XRechnung?
Both meet the requirements where the standard is observed. ZUGFeRD combines a structured file with a visual representation in one PDF and is practical for mixed recipient groups. XRechnung is a pure data format and is required by public sector clients. In practice it makes sense to support both formats on receipt and to send whatever your customers expect.
What about invoices to consumers and abroad?
The obligation concerns transactions between domestic companies. Invoices to private individuals are not covered, cross-border transactions follow their own rules, and further requirements on digital reporting are in preparation at European level. Anyone converting their system should keep that development in mind rather than building a solution purely for today's position.
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Further reading
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