German invoices need specific VAT details under § 14 UStG. Everhour turns approved billable work into cleaner client billing.
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Use this page to prepare an invoice for work sold in Germany, especially services billed by project, task, date, or person. The invoice should identify the supplier, identify the recipient, describe the supply, show the amount due, and present VAT clearly enough for accounting review.
German VAT invoices require more than a client name and a total. A standard invoice must include supplier and recipient full names and addresses, supplier Steuernummer or USt-IdNr., issue date, unique invoice number, quantity and type or scope and type of supply, supply date, taxable amount split by tax rate or exemption, and VAT rate and VAT amount or exemption note.
Germany's VAT regime is Umsatzsteuer or Mehrwertsteuer. The standard VAT rate is 19%, and the reduced rate is 7% for specified categories of supplies. Put the VAT treatment where the client can verify it, either per line when items differ or in a summary when the same rate applies across the invoice.
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. If amounts are shown in a foreign currency, German VAT conversion uses BMF monthly euro average rates unless the tax office permits supported daily-rate conversion.
For supplies performed after December 31, 2024, invoices between domestic German entrepreneurs generally fall under mandatory e-invoice rules. Private end consumers are not covered. 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. Issuers may use other invoices through December 31, 2026, and issuers with prior-year turnover up to €800,000 may extend that transition through December 31, 2027. After the transition, domestic B2B invoices must be e-invoices.
A one-off invoice is enough when you need a single client bill, the time entries are already approved, and the VAT treatment is straightforward. Keep the invoice number unique, match the supply date to the work performed, and store the source records that support the taxable amount.
A managed workflow becomes the better choice when billable time, expenses, rates, and non-billable work change across projects. Everhour Billing & Invoicing converts tracked billable time and expenses into invoices, calculates amounts from rates while excluding non-billable tasks, and keeps invoiced time from being reused on a later invoice.
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 invoice must show either the Steuernummer issued to the supplier 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 keep it consistent with accounting records.
A German invoice needs VAT split by tax rate or exemption when the invoice contains supplies with different VAT treatment. Germany's standard VAT rate is 19%, and the reduced rate is 7% for specified categories of supplies. Group taxable amounts by rate so the VAT amount can be checked.
A PDF is not a German e-invoice under the rules that began on January 1, 2025. A German e-invoice must use a structured electronic format that enables electronic processing. Transition rules allow other invoices through December 31, 2026, or through December 31, 2027 for issuers with prior-year turnover up to €800,000.
The safest payment term is the one agreed in the contract or order. If no payment time is specified, German civil law allows performance to be demanded immediately. A debtor is in default at the latest 30 days after due date and invoice receipt, with higher default interest for transactions where no party is a consumer.
German is the official language of tax proceedings. Revenue authorities may require prompt translation of foreign-language documents, including notarized or sworn translations in justified cases. Use German wording for tax-sensitive labels when the invoice will support German VAT records or audit review.
Everhour Billing & Invoicing converts tracked billable time and expenses into invoices, calculates invoice amounts from rates, and excludes non-billable work. Client records can hold contact details, tax rate, discount, and payment terms that become invoice defaults.
Everhour exports invoices to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks as drafts, then shows invoice status, number, issue date, and amount back in Everhour. That keeps billing records connected to project time while the accounting tool handles final accounting workflow.
Convert approved time and expenses into client invoices with Everhour Billing & Invoicing, then keep invoice status, rates, and billable records connected to project work.
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