E-invoicing

XRechnung

The German national profile of EN 16931, mandatory for invoices to German public bodies and one of the accepted formats for the German B2B mandate.

What XRechnung means

XRechnung is the German implementation of the European e-invoicing standard. It defines which EN 16931 fields are required in Germany, adds a few national rules, such as the buyer reference (Leitweg-ID) for public bodies, and specifies validation rules. It can be expressed in UBL or CII syntax and is pure XML without a visual part.

Since 2020 suppliers to federal authorities must use XRechnung or another compliant format. The German B2B mandate, phased in from 2025 with receipt obligations and later with issuing obligations, accepts XRechnung and ZUGFeRD alike, because both comply with EN 16931. Germany has no central clearance platform; invoices are exchanged directly by e-mail, Peppol or EDI. Kontevia is prepared to produce and read XRechnung documents.

Related terms

EN 16931The European standard that defines the data model of an electronic invoice. Every EU e-invoicing format is built on it or maps to it.ZUGFeRD / Factur-XA hybrid e-invoice format: a PDF that a person can read with an embedded XML that software can process. Developed jointly by Germany and France.E-invoice (electronic invoice)An invoice issued, sent and received in a structured electronic format that software can process automatically. A PDF is not an e-invoice under EU law.PeppolAn open network for exchanging e-invoices and other business documents between registered participants through certified access points.

This entry is general information, not tax advice. Rules change; check the current position with your adviser or the tax authority of your country.

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Kontevia applies these rules for you

Rates, thresholds and e-invoicing formats come from the jurisdiction data of your country. You send the document, Kontevia books it and keeps the VAT summary ready.

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