German invoices need precise VAT and identity fields. Everhour keeps billable work organized before billing starts.
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A German invoice has to give the buyer enough information to identify the supplier, recipient, supply, tax treatment, and payment obligation. For ordinary VAT invoices, § 14 UStG requires full supplier and recipient names and addresses, the supplier's Steuernummer or USt-IdNr., an issue date, a unique invoice number, supply details, supply timing, taxable amounts, and VAT details.
The printed document still has to match the transaction behind it. A service invoice should describe the scope of work, the billing period, the applicable rate, and the commercial term agreed with the customer. A product invoice should show quantity, type of supply, taxable amount split by VAT rate or exemption, and any required note when the customer issues the document as a "Gutschrift."
Germany's VAT system is Umsatzsteuer or Mehrwertsteuer. The standard VAT rate is 19%, and the reduced rate is 7% for specified categories of supplies. The invoice should show the VAT rate and VAT amount, or an exemption note when the supply is exempt. Do not replace an exemption with a zero tax line unless the transaction actually uses that treatment.
The supplier identifier is a required field, and the invoice must show either the tax number issued by the tax office or the VAT identification number issued by the Federal Central Tax Office. 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.
A printed invoice or ordinary PDF can work for many records, customer copies, and non-covered transactions, but domestic German B2B invoicing has a separate e-invoice path. 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 by those rules.
Since January 1, 2025, a German e-invoice must be issued, transmitted, and received in a structured electronic format that enables electronic processing. German rules treat a simple PDF as another type of invoice rather than 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.
A one-off printed invoice is enough when you need a clean document for a small job, a private customer, or a transaction outside a managed billing process. Review the customer identity, tax identifier, VAT rate, supply date, invoice number, payment term, and language before sending. German is the official language of tax proceedings, and revenue authorities may require prompt translation of foreign-language documents.
A managed workflow becomes necessary when billable time, non-billable work, expenses, approvals, and client rates feed invoices every month. Everhour supports that workflow with project billing status, task-level non-billable controls, custom task rates, member-rate exceptions, and admin reports for billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost. That structure keeps the invoice source data cleaner before the document 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 standard German VAT invoice should show taxable amounts split by tax rate or exemption, the VAT rate, and the VAT amount or exemption note. Germany uses 19% as the standard VAT rate and 7% as the reduced rate for specified supplies. The invoice also needs the supplier's Steuernummer or USt-IdNr., not just the business name.
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. Domestic B2B issuers can use transition rules through December 31, 2026, or through December 31, 2027 when prior-year turnover is up to €800,000.
The safest invoice states a clear due date or payment period. German civil law allows performance to be demanded immediately when no payment time is specified. A debtor is in default at the latest 30 days after due date and invoice receipt, with default interest set at 5 percentage points above the base rate or 9 percentage points above the base rate for non-consumer transactions.
An English invoice can be issued, but 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. For German VAT documentation, clear German field labels reduce review friction, especially for tax identifiers, supply timing, taxable amounts, and VAT treatment.
The most damaging mistake is printing a clean-looking invoice that lacks required § 14 UStG identifiers. Missing supplier or recipient details, a missing Steuernummer or USt-IdNr., no unique invoice number, unclear supply timing, or a VAT line without the rate and amount can create tax and payment disputes even when the layout looks professional.
Everhour lets admins set project billing status, mark specific tasks as non-billable, apply custom task rates, and set member-rate exceptions. Admin reports can show billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost, so invoiceable work is separated before the final invoice review.
Everhour Billing & Invoicing converts uninvoiced billable time and expenses into invoices, calculates 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 to match the client's expected format.
Track billable status before invoice creation. Everhour keeps billable and non-billable work, task rates, member exceptions, and admin billing reports connected for cleaner client billing.
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