Electronic invoicing will be mandatory from 2025. With Candis, you are able to easily receive and process ZUGFeRD and XRechnung invoices.
A new law comes into force on 1 January 2025 and affects companies in the EU that do B2B business and issue invoices over 250 euros. From this date, these companies are obliged to be able to receive and process e-invoices. Here is an overview of the deadlines:
From 1 January 2025: companies that issue invoices over 250 euros must be able to receive and process e-invoices.
Until the end of 2026: Invoices can still be submitted as paper invoices or PDF documents, but only with the consent of the invoice recipient.
Until the end of 2027: Companies with a turnover of up to 800,000 euros are still exempt from the e-invoice obligation. Electronic invoices that do not comply with the new regulations may continue to be issued (also with the consent of the invoice recipient)
From 2028: Compliance with the new regulations for e-invoices is mandatory for all companies
Which formats does Candis support?
Candis supports the common e-invoice formats ZUGFeRD and XRechnung.
ZUGFeRD
A hybrid format that contains both a PDF and an XML file.
There are currently six ZUGFeRD profiles. Candis supports the reading of invoice data for the BASIC, EN 16931 (COMFORT), EXTENDED and XRECHNUNG profiles.
ZUGFeRD invoices must use at least version 2.0.1.
XRechnung
A format that is prescribed in specific fields, especially for public contracts.
The data is provided in an XML format and is therefore initially not readable. Candis then generates a readable PDF version from the data in the XML file.
XRechnung invoices must use at least version 3.0.1.
Advantages of e-invoices
The major advantage of e-invoice formats is that the invoice data is available in a structured form and can therefore be read directly from the XML file. This ensures 100% accurate data recognition and makes classic text recognition algorithms such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition) obsolete.
How the processing of e-invoices work
Import by e-mail: Send e-invoice as usual to the Candis import e-mail address. The system automatically recognizes the format.
Automatic data extraction: Candis extracts the invoice data from the XML file and generates a PDF file for XRechnungen so that they can be viewed.
Review and approval: The invoice data can be reviewed and the approval process started as usual.
Export: Nothing changes when exporting either. The data from Candis can be used in the accounting software or ERP as before.
Storage and archiving: All e-invoices are securely stored in the Candis archive and can be retrieved at any time.
Error when reading out e-invoices
If Candis detects errors when reading out an e-invoice, a message is displayed during data entry. In the case of incorrect or invalid invoices, no data extraction takes place as the entire invoice is not compliant.
Possible causes of errors are:
Outdated ZUGFeRD version
Outdated ZUGFeRD profiles
invalid XML content
The cause of the error is listed in the document history.
Outdated ZUGFeRD versions
Older versions such as version 1.0 are not e-invoices within the standards of EN 16931. Candis treats these files in the same way as invalid invoices. We recommend rejecting them.
Outdated ZUGFeRD profiles
There are currently six ZUGFeRD profiles, but not all of them comply with the EN 16931 standard or are invoice-compliant in accordance with the Umsatzsteuergesetz (UStG).
The MINIMUM and BASIC WL profiles are not recognized as complete invoices in Germany under the UStG and are therefore not supported in Candis.
Invalid XML content
In addition to the supported version and profile, Candis also checks the content of the XML file. Errors may occur here, e.g. missing currency or missing total amount. The information may well be present in the PDF, but if it is not correctly specified in the XML file, the data cannot be read from it.
What to do if invoices are incorrect or invalid?
We recommend that you inform the supplier about the problem. You can use the “Contact supplier” function to do this. The ready-made email already contains detailed information about the errors. In this way, the supplier can ensure that valid invoices with compatible versions and profiles are provided in the future.
If you have any further questions, please contact our support team by email at support@candis.io or via chat.