Mandatory e-invoicing
From January 2025, it will be compulsory for German businesses and the self-employed to receive e-invoices and, upon request, to issue them as well. Transitional periods will remain in place until 2026. With the planned version 2025.0.0.0 of printplus druck x, we offer you the ideal solution and are providing you with information today on the requirements for the e-invoicing obligation.
In business-to-business transactions, e-invoicing will be mandatory in Germany from 1 January 2025. But what does this mean specifically for you as a user of our printplus druck x software? We have examined the legal requirements in detail and are providing you with a comprehensive overview today.
From 1 January 2025, every company will be obliged to be able to receive and process e-invoices in accordance with EN 16931. However, this ‘deadline’ does not affect printplus druck x, as our software does not record incoming invoices.
Depending on the invoice format you use for sending invoices and the turnover you recorded in the previous year, businesses can benefit from transition periods of varying lengths before the e-invoicing requirement comes into force for them.
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In this context, the requirement for e-invoicing means that, if the invoice recipient expressly requests it, only XML-based formats in accordance with EN 16931 are permitted. This rule does not apply to paper invoices until the end of 2026 or 2027.
What is meant by a standard PDF file, and why is it not considered an e-invoice?
PDF invoices without an XML attachment are purely image-based invoices. They do not comply with the required standard. This type of PDF invoice is only considered permissible if the recipient expressly consents.
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Is e-invoicing becoming the standard, including in Europe and Switzerland?
E-invoicing is becoming the European standard. From 1 January 2028, you must issue invoices in a structured electronic format in accordance with EN 16931. Some Member States may even make e-invoicing mandatory earlier than this. Swiss companies wishing to invoice within the EU must also comply with the e-invoicing requirement. Otherwise, within Switzerland, e-invoicing is mandatory for public authorities and their suppliers where the contract value is 5,000 Swiss francs or more. In the private sector, its use remains voluntary.
printplus druck x and e-invoicing – when will this be possible?
We anticipate that an increasing number of companies will also require small businesses to issue invoices in XML format. The reason for this is that PDF or paper invoices create additional administrative work for the accounts departments of medium-sized and larger companies, which they wish to avoid. We are therefore planning a new version of printplus druck x for the first quarter of 2025, which will enable the sending of e-invoices. With this version, you will be able to offer your customers the XRechnung and ZUGFeRD formats. As soon as the version is available, we will inform you immediately via our newsletter.
