Mandatory e-invoicing at a glance
- Since 2020, suppliers of German federal authorities have needed to invoice in e-invoice format. More info here
- From 2025, all businesses must accept e-invoices from their business partners. And this is what you can now do with Holvi. More info here
- In 2028 e-invoicing becomes fully mandatory: all companies in B2B can only send e-invoices.
Read more about mandatory invoicing here
What are e-invoices?
- An e-invoice is an invoice that has been delivered in a standardised electronic format which allows it to be automatically and electronically processed.
- In other words, PDFs, pictures, or emails - even though sent digitally - are not e-invoices.
Which format should I choose for my e-invoices?
- If you invoice B2C or B2B, we recommend ZUGFeRD as the standard format. In addition to the machine-readable part, this e-invoice format also contains a standard PDF view.
- You can still create a conventional PDF invoice as well as long as the full e-invoicing obligation has not yet come into force.
- If you invoice federal authorities (B2G), contact us to activate sending e-invoices via operator network. You'll need the Leitweg-ID of your invoice recipient.
What are the benefits of using e-invoices?
- Improved efficiency and faster processing. But please note that it’s currently not possible to upload or send multiple invoices at once.
- Fewer errors.
- No postage fees for mailing paper invoices.
- Starting now means being well prepared for full mandatory e-invoicing in 2028.
How do I accept e-invoices with Holvi?
All you need to receive an e-invoice is an e-mail inbox. But to validate an e-invoice and to store it audit-proof, you’ll need an e-invoice software. With Holvi we developed a simple solution to validate, pay and store e-invoices from your business partners.
- Log in to Holvi using web and select Quick actions on web home and accounts screens. Here you can navigate to Bank transfer > Pay invoice
- Select the Upload button to upload your ZUGFeRD / Factur-X e-invoice PDF you received via email from your business partner. For the moment only PDF files are supported.
- Holvi will extract the structured XML data. You can then check the details and adjust them if needed.
- If you are using the Holvi web app, clicking Save as draft or Send means the payment is saved. It can then be scheduled or stored in draft state. You can then decide to edit it further or confirm that it be paid or deleted.
- The uploaded PDF (with XML inside) is attached to the outbound payment, stored audit-proof and is included in your Holvi bookkeeping.
Find a demo here
How do I send e-invoices in Holvi?
- Select a checkbox to generate as ZUGFeRD / Factur-X in the Additional details section of your new invoice. This can be edited as long as the invoice is not yet sent.
- To enable the ZUGFeRD / Factur-X option in Holvi's invoicing settings. Go to Invoicing > Invoicing settings. Here you can select whether invoices generated with Holvi are ZUGFeRD invoices by default.