E-invoicing: XRechnung and ZUGFeRD

Overview

Since 2025, e-invoicing has become mandatory in stages in the German B2B sector. Kyvento generates e-invoices in line with the European standard EN 16931 – as ZUGFeRD (PDF with embedded XML), XRechnung (pure XML, primarily for public authorities) or Factur-X. This article explains the formats, the settings and the downloads.

The formats in brief

• ZUGFeRD: a hybrid format – a normally readable PDF (PDF/A-3) with the structured invoice data embedded as XML. People read the PDF, software reads the XML.
• XRechnung: a pure XML file following the German standard for public-sector clients (B2G). Stricter mandatory details apply here, such as the recipient's Leitweg-ID (routing ID).
• Factur-X: the French counterpart to ZUGFeRD, closely related technically.

Included automatically: ZUGFeRD in the invoice PDF

Every PDF of a finalized invoice (including cancellation and correction documents) automatically contains the embedded EN 16931 invoice data – so your normal invoice dispatch already delivers a ZUGFeRD document. If mandatory details required for the embedding are missing, the PDF is delivered without the XML portion, so that the document itself always stays available.

In addition, the invoice detail page offers the "XML" button ("Download EN16931 XML (e-invoice)") – it downloads the invoice's pure structured data as an XML file, for example to import into a customer's accounting software.

Settings for automatic generation

Under Settings → Account, in the "E-invoice" section, you configure automatic generation:

• "Automatically generate e-invoice after finalization": generates an e-invoice in the chosen format automatically for every finalized invoice to a business customer.
• "Also generate e-invoice for private customers": by default, only business customers receive the e-invoice (Section 14 of the German VAT Act); private customers get the classic PDF. This option extends generation to private customers.
• "Default format": ZUGFeRD, XRechnung or Factur-X – without a selection, automatic dispatch stays off ("No auto-dispatch").
• Sender details: "Electronic address (BT-34)" including scheme (email, Leitweg-ID, GLN or DUNS), "Contact person (BT-41)", "Phone (BT-42)" and "Contact email (BT-43)" – these fields are mandatory for XRechnung.

Pre-flight check of your mandatory details

Once e-invoicing is enabled, Kyvento continuously checks in the same section whether your master data is sufficient for compliant documents, and shows the result right there – before the first invoice exists:

• "E-invoice: all mandatory details complete" – your master data is sufficient to produce EN 16931-compliant e-invoices.
• "E-invoice: details missing" – below it, Kyvento lists every missing field individually.

What is checked is your seller identity: company name, street, postal code and city, plus at least one tax identifier (VAT ID or tax number). If "XRechnung" is set as the default format, the details that are mandatory there are added – electronic address (BT-34), contact person (BT-41), telephone (BT-42) and contact email (BT-43).

The check uses the very same rule set as the generation itself. What passes here is not rejected when the document is produced – and vice versa. Not included are the details that belong to the individual customer (routing ID, the recipient's electronic address); you maintain those on the customer record, see the next section. With e-invoicing switched off, the notice does not appear.

Recipient details on the customer

For XRechnung invoices to public authorities, store the "Leitweg-ID (BT-10)" on the customer – Kyvento checks the format automatically. There is also an "Electronic address (BT-49)" with scheme on the customer. Before every generation, Kyvento validates the e-invoice against the XML schema and checks the arithmetic consistency of the amounts.

Good to know

• When sending by email, Kyvento attaches the invoice PDF – the separate XML file is not sent by email but can be downloaded at any time via the XML button.
• Once generated, e-invoice files are secured with a checksum and stored in an audit-proof manner – see GoBD-compliant archiving.

Next steps

• Dispatch paths and attachments in detail – see Sending invoices by email
• Maintain company data and VAT ID in full – see Maintaining company and tax information