E-invoice receiving obligation since 2025

Receiving e-invoices in Germany: the 2025 obligation, done right.

Every domestic business has to be able to accept e-invoices in B2B transactions. NameQuick Invoices takes XRechnung, ZUGFeRD and PDFs by email, makes them readable and reviewable, and delivers clean data for your DATEV export. Invoice chaos in, DATEV-ready out.

No card for the demo: process three invoices and create one CSV export. Paid plans start a 14-day Polar-managed trial after checkout.

The receiving obligation in three sentences

Since 1 January 2025 practically every business in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices in domestic B2B transactions — regardless of size or revenue.
An e-invoice is a structured file to EN 16931 (in Germany chiefly XRechnung and ZUGFeRD), not a plain PDF or a paper document.
A mailbox is technically enough to receive one; but to make the invoice readable, reviewable and usable for bookkeeping, you need a viewer and a clean path into your pre-accounting.

This page explains the receiving obligation in general terms and is not tax or legal advice. For your specific situation and for questions about deadlines and retention, your tax advisor is the right contact.

What the receiving obligation actually means

Four points to know before you change how invoices come in:

Who is affected

All domestic businesses in B2B transactions — from sole traders to limited companies. Receiving has no revenue threshold and no general transition period.

Since when

The obligation to be able to accept e-invoices applies since 1 January 2025. The staggered transition periods concern issuing and sending, not receiving.

Which formats

In Germany mainly XRechnung (pure XML as UBL or CII) and ZUGFeRD or Factur-X (a PDF with embedded XML) — both to the European standard EN 16931.

What is not an e-invoice

A plain PDF or a scanned paper document no longer counts as an e-invoice since 2025, because it lacks the structured, machine-readable data. You can still accept such documents — they just don't replace a real e-invoice.

How to receive e-invoices the right way

Five steps from invoice intake to DATEV-ready data — each one maps to a feature in NameQuick Invoices.

1. Set up the email intake
Every workspace has its own email address. Have suppliers send there, or forward invoices from your inbox — XRechnung XML, ZUGFeRD PDF or an ordinary PDF. Every arrival is logged on receipt.
2. Make XRechnung and ZUGFeRD readable
Structured e-invoices are read straight from the XML and laid out clearly: seller, amounts, tax breakdown, Leitweg-ID and the detected profile. You never have to decode raw XML yourself.
3. Capture fields automatically and review
AI extraction reads the invoice fields with a confidence score per field. Uncertain documents land in the review queue; you correct with provenance, resolve duplicate warnings and approve. Nothing is exported before you approve it.
4. Keep originals immutable
The original — including the embedded XML of an XRechnung or a ZUGFeRD document — is stored unchanged and never overwritten. Every step from receipt through approval to export is in the event history. That is the basis for a GoBD-supporting workflow.
5. Hand off DATEV-ready
Approved invoices export as CSV or as a DATEV EXTF file for your tax advisor. The DATEV export is file-based — no forced login, no cloud coupling.

Tools and evidence

To try and to read up on — the viewers are free and need no sign-up:

XRechnung and ZUGFeRD viewer

Open a received XRechnung or ZUGFeRD file instantly in the browser and read it in plain text. Free, no account, and the file never leaves your browser.

Open the viewer

ZUGFeRD validator

Check whether a received file is structurally usable: embedded XML, profile and core fields. Ideal for fast triage before processing.

Open the validator

Trust & data handling

Where your documents live, how originals are protected and what is logged — including the honest framing of the GoBD-supporting workflow.

See data handling

How long you must keep received e-invoices and what GoBD-compliant archiving looks like depends on your situation. Clear these questions with your tax advisor; a detailed guide to GoBD archiving is on the NameQuick blog.

Frequently asked questions about receiving e-invoices

Is a mailbox enough to receive e-invoices?

Technically yes — a mailbox is enough for pure receipt. But to read, review and post an XRechnung or ZUGFeRD file you need a viewer and a path into your bookkeeping. That is exactly what NameQuick Invoices does: email intake, viewer, review and DATEV export.

Is a PDF an e-invoice?

No. A plain PDF without embedded structured XML data does not count as an e-invoice since 2025. A ZUGFeRD file is also a PDF, but it additionally carries the structured XML to EN 16931. You can keep accepting plain PDFs — NameQuick Invoices processes them too.

Can I receive and view e-invoices for free?

Viewing a single XRechnung or ZUGFeRD file is always free and needs no account with our viewers. For ongoing email intake, automatic capture and DATEV export there is the paid product — with a no-card demo to try it.

How do received e-invoices get to DATEV?

After review you approve invoices and export them as a DATEV EXTF file. You hand that file to your tax advisor. The export is file-based; there is no cloud coupling and no automatic transfer into DATEV systems.

Do I have to install software?

No. NameQuick Invoices runs in the browser. You forward invoices to your workspace email or upload files directly — nothing to install.

Set up your invoice intake cleanly now

Process your first e-invoice free and see intake, viewer, review and DATEV export in action.

No card for the demo. Paid plans start a 14-day Polar-managed trial after checkout.