Deadline 1 Jan 2027

The e-invoicing mandate is coming.
Your accounting goes autonomous.

From 1 January 2027, e-invoicing is mandatory for B2B in Germany. Orcha receives, validates and posts XRechnung and ZUGFeRD - straight into DATEV, SAP and NetSuite. No converter, no portal, no manual entry.

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90%
Straight-through processing. Structured e-invoices deliver the data directly - no OCR, so the no-touch rate is correspondingly high.
1 workflow
XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Peppol, PDF and scan all run the same way. The format does not matter.
0
Converters, portals, manual entry. The invoice arrives and it is posted - no steps in between.

What becomes mandatory, and when.

since 1 Jan 2025
Receiving is mandatory
Every company in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices (EN 16931).
1 Jan 2027
Issuing above €800k
Companies with revenue above €800,000 must issue e-invoices. Paper and plain PDFs are no longer permitted.
1 Jan 2028
Issuing for everyone
The obligation to issue applies to all companies in domestic B2B.
1 Jul 2030
EU ViDA
Digital reporting for intra-community B2B transactions, with invoicing within 10 days.
A pure converter meets the 2027 obligation. It does not cover what changes from 2030.

An XRechnung is XML. That does not make it posted.

The structured format solves receiving. The processing behind it stays open.

01 · Processing
Receiving is solved, processing is not
The XRechnung sits in the inbox and gets printed or retyped. The structured format helps little if manual entry follows anyway.
02 · Mixed intake
Two worlds in parallel
Until 2028, e-invoices, PDFs and scans arrive side by side. Without a shared intake, that quickly becomes one process per format.
03 · Outbound
The outbound side, accounted for
From 2027 you have to issue e-invoices yourself. Many solutions only cover the inbound side.

Orcha processes e-invoices end-to-end.

Orcha does more than turn one format into another. The process runs from intake through review to posting - and covers issuing your own invoices too.

01 · Inbound
Receive & validate
XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Peppol, PDF and scan through one intake. The formal checks (EN 16931, VAT ID, tax rates, deadlines) run automatically.
More on accounts payable
02 · Control
Review & approve
Fraud screening with 25+ checks, three-way match, cost-centre assignment. Approvals via Teams, Slack or email - no login required.
03 · Posting
Post & archive
Straight into DATEV (SKR 03/04), SAP or NetSuite. GoBD-compliant archiving, a complete audit trail.
04 · Outbound
Issue
Outbound invoices as compliant XRechnung or ZUGFeRD, generated automatically from your order data.
More on accounts receivable
At Orcha, e-invoices reach particularly high no-touch rates - structured data instead of OCR guesswork.

XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Peppol - briefly explained.

Format
XRechnung
Purely structured XML, the standard for public administration and equally usable in B2B.
Format
ZUGFeRD
A hybrid of PDF and embedded XML - human-readable and machine-processable at the same time.
Network
Peppol
A transmission network, not a format. Relevant for international trade relationships and ViDA.

For Orcha the format does not matter. Each one runs through the same process.

Frequently asked questions.

What counts as an e-invoice under the law?

An e-invoice is an invoice in a structured electronic format that follows the European standard EN 16931. A plain PDF does not qualify, because its content is not structured for machine reading.

Who has to issue e-invoices from 2027?

From 1 January 2027, companies with more than €800,000 in prior-year revenue must issue e-invoices. From 1 January 2028 the obligation applies to all companies in domestic B2B.

Does the mandate apply to small businesses?

Receiving e-invoices has been mandatory for everyone since 1 January 2025, including small businesses. For issuing, there are exemptions that should be checked case by case.

What happens to PDF invoices?

PDF invoices are only permitted with the recipient's consent and are being phased out over the transition periods. In B2B, structured formats become the standard.

What is the difference between XRechnung and ZUGFeRD?

XRechnung is a purely structured XML format, the standard for public administration and usable in B2B as well. ZUGFeRD is a hybrid of PDF and embedded XML - human-readable and machine-processable at once.

What does ViDA mean for companies in Germany?

ViDA (VAT in the Digital Age) is the EU VAT package. From 1 July 2030 it introduces digital reporting for intra-community B2B transactions, with invoicing within 10 days. Building on EN 16931 today means being ready for it.

Meeting the mandate is achievable.
The real gain is the automated process.

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