German invoices need § 14 UStG details and correct VAT treatment. Everhour keeps billing data traceable before invoicing.
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A German invoice is a billing record, a tax document, and a payment request. For VAT purposes, a standard invoice must identify the supplier and recipient, describe the supply, show the invoice date and unique invoice number, and state the tax basis for the amount charged. The result should let the customer approve the charge and let both sides keep a usable accounting record.
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 consumer invoices follow different practical expectations, but German VAT invoice content still matters when VAT is charged.
A standard German VAT invoice must include the supplier and recipient full names and addresses, supplier tax number or VAT ID, issue date, unique invoice number, quantity/type or scope/type of supply, supply date or payment date for advance payments, taxable amount split by tax rate or exemption, VAT rate and VAT amount or exemption note, any required retention notice for private recipients, and "Gutschrift" where the customer issues the invoice as a credit note.
The supplier identifier is either the Steuernummer issued by the tax office or the USt-IdNr. issued by the Federal Central Tax Office. Germany's VAT regime is Umsatzsteuer/Mehrwertsteuer, with a 19% standard rate and a 7% reduced rate for specified categories of supplies. A clean invoice separates taxable amounts by rate instead of blending all work into one untaxed subtotal.
Domestic German B2B invoicing is changing because supplies performed after December 31, 2024 generally fall under mandatory e-invoice rules between domestic German entrepreneurs. 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 before you choose the send format. 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. German is the official language of tax proceedings, and revenue authorities may require prompt translation of foreign-language documents. Foreign-currency VAT amounts must use the BMF monthly euro average rate unless the tax office permits daily-rate conversion.
A one-off invoice is enough for a single fixed-fee job, a small correction, or a client request that needs one document fast. It works best when the amount is already agreed, VAT treatment is clear, and no one needs to reconcile uninvoiced time, expenses, rate changes, or project profitability after the invoice goes out.
A managed workflow fits recurring client work, time-and-materials projects, and teams that need a durable billing record. Everhour Reporting can group and filter logged work, expose billable and non-billable amounts, export reports, and connect invoice status back to project data. That reporting layer helps you review the source records before creating the German invoice and after sending it.
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 needs the § 14 UStG identifiers and commercial details: supplier and recipient names and addresses, supplier Steuernummer or USt-IdNr., issue date, unique invoice number, supply description, supply timing, taxable amount by rate or exemption, VAT rate and amount or exemption note, plus special notices where required.
Germany uses Umsatzsteuer/Mehrwertsteuer, commonly translated as VAT. The standard VAT rate is 19%, and the reduced rate is 7% for specified categories of supplies. A German invoice should show the taxable amount split by VAT rate or exemption, then show the VAT rate and VAT amount or a valid exemption note.
A simple PDF is another type of invoice, not a German e-invoice under the rules that began on January 1, 2025. Transition rules let issuers use other invoices through December 31, 2026, with an extension through December 31, 2027 for issuers with prior-year turnover up to €800,000. After transition, domestic B2B invoices must be structured e-invoices.
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 rule, so the transaction type controls the deadline.
The contract can set the payment term. 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. Default interest is 5 percentage points above the base rate, or 9 percentage points above the base rate when no party is a consumer, with a €40 lump sum available against non-consumer debtors.
Everhour Reporting lets teams build reports with 45+ columns, metadata filters, grouping, date ranges, and exports. Before sending a German invoice, an admin can review billable time, non-billable time, invoice status, costs, project, client, member, and task details in one reporting view.
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 other available breakdowns before export to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks.
Review billable records before sending client invoices. Everhour connects reporting, invoice status, and project billing data so teams keep German invoice preparation tied to source work.
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