German invoice template
German clients and their accountants look for specific details on a Rechnung, and can ask you to correct an invoice that lacks them. TheInvoiceAI writes the labels in German and formats numbers and dates the German way.
What a German invoice usually includes (§14 UStG)
- Your full name and address, and your client's
- Your tax number (Steuernummer) or VAT ID (USt-IdNr.)
- Issue date and a unique, consecutive invoice number (Rechnungsnummer)
- Date of the service (Leistungsdatum)
- Description and quantity of the service
- Net amount, VAT rate, VAT amount and gross total
Example invoice lines in German
| Beschreibung | Menge | Einzelpreis | Betrag | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webdesign Startseite1 × 1.800,00 € | 1.800,00 € | |||
| Beratung (Stunden)8 × 95,00 € | 760,00 € | |||
| Gesamt | Gesamt | 2.560,00 € | ||
Example figures before tax. Use your own rates.
The words your client sees
- Invoice
- Rechnung
- Invoice no.
- Rechnungsnr.
- Issue date
- Rechnungsdatum
- Due date
- Fällig am
- Bill to
- Rechnung an
- Description
- Beschreibung
- Qty
- Menge
- Unit price
- Einzelpreis
- VAT no.
- USt-IdNr.
- Total
- Gesamt
Good to know
- Small business under §19 UStG? The invoice should say no VAT is charged. TheInvoiceAI adds "Gemäß § 19 UStG wird keine Umsatzsteuer berechnet" from your VAT status in Settings.
- Selling from another EU country to a German business with a VAT ID? It's often reverse charge, and TheInvoiceAI adds "Steuerschuldnerschaft des Leistungsempfängers".
- Germany is moving business-to-business invoices between German companies to e-invoicing. TheInvoiceAI makes PDF invoices, not XRechnung or ZUGFeRD files, so if you're based in Germany, check what applies to you.
Try it on your next invoice
There's nothing to download. Open the invoice creator, paste your notes or fill in the form, and check the result.
Questions
Will the whole invoice be in German?
The labels, dates, numbers, emails and reminders are in German. Your own line descriptions stay as you wrote them, so write those in German too.
Where does the date of the service go?
State the delivery date or period in the line description or notes, for example "Leistungszeitraum: Oktober". German invoices need it even when it's the same as the invoice date, unless the invoice says so.
Are invoice numbers handled for me?
Yes. Each invoice gets the next number in your sequence when it's sent, so numbers stay unique and consecutive. You can set your own prefix in Settings.
How do my clients pay me?
They pay you directly, using the payment details on your invoice. Pay links from your own Stripe account are coming soon. TheInvoiceAI is invoicing software, not a payment service: we never hold, process or transmit your money, and we take no fee.
General guidance, not tax or legal advice. Rules change, so check what applies to you.