Your German client asked for an E-Rechnung or an XRechnung, and what you have is a PDF. This form produces the real thing: an .xml file following EN 16931 in the CII syntax, aligned with the XRechnung 3.0 profile.
Your entries are used to build the file and then discarded. There is no account, no database, and no record left behind by this form.
Your invoice details
Required fields are marked *. Amounts in euro, comma or point.
The German words on the form, briefly
| Term | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Leitweg-ID | The routing ID of a public authority. Your client gives it to you — it is not your invoice number, and it cannot be guessed. |
| Steuernummer / USt-IdNr. | Your local tax number, or your EU VAT ID. A VAT ID starts with two letters (DE123456789); a Steuernummer does not. |
| Kleinunternehmer | The German small-business rule (§ 19 UStG): you charge no VAT. On an e-invoice that is tax category E with a stated reason — not 0 % standard rate. |
| Reverse Charge | Your client accounts for the VAT instead of you — common when billing a business in another EU country. Category AE, also with a reason. |
Why invoices get rejected
Three mistakes account for most of it. The form above will not let you make them — that is the real difference between this and hand-writing XML.
- Standard rate at 0 %. If you charge no VAT, the category has to say so. Standard rating with a 0 % rate is a contradiction the rules reject.
- No reason for an exemption. Categories E and AE need a sentence saying why, in the field BT-120.
- A missing electronic address. XRechnung requires one for both parties (BT-34 and BT-49). An email address is accepted.
What this does and does not do
- Produces an XML file following EN 16931 in the CII syntax, aligned with the XRechnung 3.0 profile
- Enforces the rules on tax categories, rates and electronic addresses
- Calculates line amounts, tax and totals from what you enter
- Runs without an account and without installing anything
- Does not replace a check with KoSIT's official validation tool
- Sends nothing — the file goes to you, not to your client
- Stores nothing and keeps no archive for you
- Has no discounts, prepayments or separate delivery addresses — and produces no PDF
That last point matters most. A file can satisfy every rule shown here and still meet an extra profile at the recipient. If you are invoicing an authority that asks for proof, have the file checked with the official tool as well.
Common questions
If your client is a German public authority, yes. Between businesses it depends on the date and on your turnover, and the rules are being phased in — but every business in Germany must already be able to receive one.
Yes. No signup, no time limit, no cap on how many invoices you create.
It is used to build the file and then discarded. Nothing is stored, analysed or passed on.
With the other half of this pair: the XRechnung viewer. It renders the XML as a normal invoice, in your browser.
Then filling this form in every time is the wrong tool. InkVoice keeps your clients, items and your own details on file and produces the same XRechnung from a saved invoice — free for 5 clients and 10 invoices a month, no credit card, in six languages.
Create a free account