Mandatory e-invoicing 2025: What needs to be considered

From January 1, 2025, electronic invoicing will be mandatory for all B2B companies in Germany. The aim of this change is to digitalize accounting, reduce manual processes and increase efficiency and reduce errors in invoice processing. In future, invoices must be available in a structured electronic format such as ZUGFeRD. In the case of ZUGFeRD, a structured format means, for example, a PDF file with an embedded XML structure that is machine-readable. Paper or unstructured PDF invoices no longer meet the legal requirements.

By using a suitable solution such as XD Cloud Customer, documents can be processed in a structured and quality-assured manner. There are four document types that are processed between wholesalers and tradespeople using XD Cloud Customer:

1. Order - This document contains the articles ordered, by the tradesperson.
2. Order confirmation - The order confirmation is provided to the craftsman by the wholesaler.
3. Delivery bill - This is a list of the articles contained in the transport packaging for the craftsman.
4. Invoice - The invoice is sent to the craftsman in hybrid format according to the ZUGFeRD standard.