German VAT invoices need exact § 14 UStG details. Everhour keeps billable rates and invoice data connected.
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Use this page when you need to prepare an invoice for a German customer, supplier relationship, or domestic business transaction. Germany is a VAT jurisdiction, and ordinary VAT invoices need the identifiers and supply details required under § 14 UStG. A business invoice should leave no doubt about who supplied the service, who received it, what was delivered, when it was supplied, and which VAT treatment applies.
For taxable supplies to another entrepreneur for its business, or to a legal person that is not an entrepreneur, the supplier generally must issue the invoice within six months after performing the supply, except for many exempt transactions under § 4 nos. 8 to 29 UStG. Private end consumers sit outside Germany's domestic B2B e-invoice mandate, but invoice clarity still matters for payment, records, and tax review.
A standard German VAT invoice must include the supplier and recipient full names and addresses, issue date, unique invoice number, supply description, supply date or advance payment date, taxable amount split by tax rate or exemption, VAT rate, VAT amount or exemption note, and any required retention notice for private recipients. The invoice must also show either the supplier's Steuernummer or USt-IdNr.
Germany's VAT regime is Umsatzsteuer, also called Mehrwertsteuer. The standard VAT rate is 19%, and the reduced rate is 7% for specified categories of supplies. Place VAT at the line or summary level in a way that clearly separates taxable bases by rate. A service line such as "Consulting services, March 2026, €1,200.00, 19% VAT, €228.00 VAT" gives the customer and accountant a clean audit trail.
For supplies performed after December 31, 2024, invoices between domestic German entrepreneurs generally fall under mandatory e-invoice rules. Since January 1, 2025, a German e-invoice must be issued, transmitted, and received in a structured electronic format that enables electronic processing. A simple PDF is treated as another type of invoice, not an e-invoice.
Transition rules matter for issuers. Other invoice types may be used through December 31, 2026, and issuers with prior-year turnover up to €800,000 may extend that transition through December 31, 2027. Payment timing is mainly contractual. If no payment time is specified, performance may be demanded immediately, and a debtor is in default at the latest 30 days after due date and invoice receipt.
A one-off invoice works when you have a fixed scope, one customer, one currency, and a small number of lines. It is enough for a simple service invoice if you already know the correct supplier identifier, VAT treatment, supply date, payment term, and structured e-invoice requirement for the transaction. It is less reliable when billable hours, expenses, rate changes, approvals, and uninvoiced work need tracking.
A managed workflow fits recurring client work. Everhour separates internal cost rates from client-facing billable rates, supports default per-person rates with per-project overrides, preserves dated rate changes, and can price billable work by project, member, or custom task rate. That structure keeps tracked time, billing rates, invoice amounts, and project reporting aligned before the invoice is created.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
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A German VAT invoice must show either the supplier's Steuernummer issued by the tax office or the USt-IdNr. issued by the Federal Central Tax Office. Use the identifier that matches the supplier's tax setup and customer expectation. The field belongs with the supplier details, not buried in notes or payment instructions.
A German invoice needs the correct VAT rate for each taxable supply. Germany uses a 19% standard VAT rate and a 7% reduced rate for specified categories of supplies. If one invoice contains supplies taxed at different rates, split the taxable amount by rate and show the VAT amount or exemption note clearly.
A simple PDF is treated as another type of invoice, not a German e-invoice. Since January 1, 2025, a German e-invoice must use a structured electronic format that enables electronic processing. Transition rules allow other invoice types through December 31, 2026, with an extension through December 31, 2027 for issuers with prior-year turnover up to €800,000.
The invoice should show the supply date, or the payment date for advance payments. The supply date can differ from the issue date, especially for monthly services, deposits, or work delivered before billing. Omitting it creates a common VAT invoice defect because the tax period and service timing become unclear.
A German invoice can show commercial amounts in a foreign currency, but foreign-currency amounts used to calculate German VAT and deductible input VAT must be converted into euros using the BMF monthly euro average rate unless the tax office permits supported daily-rate conversion. Keep the exchange-rate basis with the invoice record.
Everhour separates internal cost rates from client-facing billable rates, with default per-person rates and per-project overrides. Rate changes can be dated, so older reports keep their original calculations while new German client work uses the correct project, member, or custom task rate.
Everhour turns tracked billable time and expenses into client invoices, calculates invoice amounts from rates and billable expenses, and excludes non-billable work. Invoice data can be grouped by project, task, person, date, or another available breakdown before export to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks.
Track approved work, preserve rate history, and turn billable time into invoice-ready amounts. Everhour keeps rates, projects, and billing reports connected for cleaner client invoicing.
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