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Only for a limited window. Since January 2025 the right to insist on paper has effectively ended for domestic B2B, and a plain PDF is treated as an ordinary file rather than a valid e-invoice unless the recipient consents during the 2025–2026 transition. Once full issuing rules bite, structured formats become the only safe option. SMARTeIS converts and validates everything into compliant XRechnung or ZUGFeRD.

Both meet the EN 16931 standard, so the choice comes down to your trading partners. XRechnung is a pure-XML format designed for straight-through, automated processing and is the default in public-sector dealings. ZUGFeRD embeds that same XML inside a readable PDF, which suits partners who still want a visual document. SMARTeIS produces and reads both, so you never have to pick just one.

No. Germany has deliberately chosen a decentralised model with no government clearance portal and no real-time submission of invoice data to the tax office. Businesses send invoices directly to each other over Peppol, EDI, email, or system-to-system links. A digital reporting layer may follow later under EU ViDA, and SMARTeIS is designed to absorb that change when it comes.

SMARTeIS covers the full range used in Germany: the national XRechnung and ZUGFeRD (2.1 and above) formats, plus other EN 16931-compatible syntaxes such as UBL, CII, and Peppol BIS 3.0. That means you can trade with any compliant German counterparty without worrying about which variant they send or expect.

Because an invoice that fails the format rules can be challenged, and a buyer holding a non-compliant invoice risks losing the input-VAT credit attached to it. That turns compliance into a commercial issue: companies increasingly insist their suppliers send proper structured e-invoices to protect their own deductions. SMARTeIS validates every invoice on the way in and out, so your VAT position stays defensible.

Since there’s no central hub, transmission happens through whatever channel trading partners agree on, commonly the Peppol network, established EDI links, secure email, or direct ERP integration. SMARTeIS supports all of these routes from one platform, so you can meet each customer or supplier on the channel they already use.

German e-invoices must be retained in their original structured electronic format, with a retention period of up to eight years for invoices. The stored format must remain readable and its integrity and authenticity must be demonstrable throughout that period, which SMARTeIS handles automatically.

Yes, during the transition, provided your trading partners agree. Over time your EDI exchange should produce or map to EN 16931-compliant formats such as XRechnung or ZUGFeRD so that invoices remain valid as the mandate tightens. SMARTeIS bridges existing EDI flows with compliant German e-invoicing formats.

Yes. SMARTeIS connects to the ERP and accounting systems widely used across Germany, including SAP, DATEV, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, and Sage, through Peppol connectivity and point-to-point EDI, with no core system overhaul. It handles both inbound and outbound flows, so your finance team keeps working in familiar tools while SMARTeIS manages XRechnung and ZUGFeRD conversion, validation, and transmission.