Every German business must already be able to receive structured e-invoices (XRechnung or ZUGFeRD) for domestic B2B transactions — this has applied since January 1, 2025. The good news: an ordinary email inbox that can accept these files is sufficient. No special network is required for receiving.
What to do
1
Designate one email address for incoming invoices and tell your suppliers
2
Make sure you can open and process XRechnung (XML) files — your accounting tool or a free viewer handles this
3
Do not reject structured invoices and ask for PDFs instead — you have no right to demand them anymore
Risk if ignored: A supplier's structured e-invoice is the legally valid invoice; refusing it doesn't change your obligations.
✓ Verified against sources on 2026-08-09 · updated when the regulation changes