Guides to German e-invoicing

Short answers to the most common questions about German e-invoices, without jargon.

• Open an XRechnung and save it as PDF
• ZUGFeRD or XRechnung: which one do I need?
• E-invoices for small businesses under § 19 UStG
• Sending an XRechnung to a German authority

Error codes

• BR-DE-15Leitweg-ID / buyer reference missing
• BR-DE-1Payment instructions missing
• BR-DE-2Seller contact missing (also BR-DE-5, -6, -7)
• BR-DE-21Not an XRechnung (wrong specification identifier)
• BR-DE-23-aCredit transfer without IBAN
• BR-DE-18Skonto (cash discount) in the wrong format
• BR-CO-10Sum of line amounts does not match
• BR-CO-15Gross total is not net plus VAT
• BR-S-08VAT breakdown per rate does not match
• BR-CL-23Invalid unit code (e.g. “Stk”)