German invoices need § 14 UStG details, VAT precision, and e-invoice awareness. Everhour keeps billing data reportable.
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Use this page to prepare a German invoice that shows the seller, buyer, supply, tax treatment, and payment information in the right places. A German VAT invoice is not just a payment request. It supports output VAT reporting for the supplier and input VAT deduction for the buyer, so missing identifiers or unclear supply details can create accounting friction.
The template is most useful for freelancers, agencies, consultants, and small businesses billing German customers or issuing invoices from Germany. It helps you organize the required fields before sending the document to a client or accountant. For domestic German B2B supplies performed after December 31, 2024, also check whether the invoice must follow Germany's structured e-invoice rules.
A standard German VAT invoice under § 14 UStG needs 10 core elements: supplier and recipient names and addresses, the supplier's Steuernummer or USt-IdNr., issue date, unique invoice number, supply description, supply date or advance-payment date, taxable amounts split by tax rate or exemption, VAT rate and VAT amount or exemption note, required retention notice for private recipients, and "Gutschrift" when the customer issues a credit 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 rate and VAT amount where the buyer can trace the taxable base to the tax line. Exempt supplies need a clear exemption note instead of a VAT amount.
Domestic German B2B invoicing is moving from ordinary files to structured electronic invoices. 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 counts as another type of invoice, not as an e-invoice. Private end consumers are not covered by those domestic B2B e-invoice rules.
Transition timing matters for issuers. Other invoice types can generally be used through December 31, 2026, and issuers with prior-year turnover up to €800,000 can use the extended transition through December 31, 2027. Foreign-currency VAT calculations need euro conversion using the Federal Ministry of Finance monthly average rate unless the tax office permits daily-rate conversion backed by bank evidence or rate sheets.
A free invoice template is enough when you need one clean document, already know the billable work, and can review every tax field manually. Use it for a first draft before an accountant checks German VAT treatment, e-invoice scope, foreign-currency conversion, or the wording of an exemption note.
A managed workflow becomes the better fit when billable time, expenses, approvals, and reporting need to stay connected over repeated invoices. Everhour Reporting turns logged time, budgets, costs, and project data into customizable reports with 45+ columns, grouping, filters, exports, and scheduled email delivery, so billing work can start from reviewed project data instead of scattered notes.
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 supplier's USt-IdNr. issued by the Federal Central Tax Office. Use the identifier that applies to the supplier's tax registration and keep it consistent with accounting records and customer expectations.
A German invoice needs taxable amounts split by tax rate or exemption. The invoice must show the VAT rate and VAT amount, or an exemption note when the supply is exempt. Germany uses 19% as the standard VAT rate and 7% as the reduced rate for specified categories of supplies.
A simple 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 can be processed electronically. PDFs remain another invoice type during the applicable transition period, not the structured e-invoice format itself.
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. Many exempt transactions under § 4 nos. 8 to 29 UStG are outside that general issue deadline.
Payment timing is mainly contractual. Without a specific payment time, performance may be demanded immediately. A debtor is in default at the latest 30 days after due date and invoice receipt. Default interest is 5 percentage points above the base rate, or 9 percentage points above the base rate when no party is a consumer.
Everhour Reporting lets teams review billable time, costs, project data, and invoice-related fields before amounts move into a client document. Reports can use 45+ columns, grouping, filters, date ranges, exports, and scheduled delivery, giving finance and project leads a cleaner source for invoice review.
Everhour Billing & Invoicing can turn uninvoiced billable time and expenses into invoices, then export them to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks as drafts. Invoice status, number, issue date, and amount sync back to Everhour so billing records stay connected.
Review project data before each invoice, then keep billing evidence available after sending. Everhour Reporting gives teams filtered exports, scheduled reports, and invoice-ready visibility from tracked work.
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