How to create e-invoices in ConfTool

(A German version of this article is available.)

Background
As of January 1, 2025, Germany has introduced a limited e-invoicing requirement for business-to-business (B2B) transactions between domestic companies. This regulation is based on the Growth Opportunities Act, the Value Added Tax Act, and the EU Directive 2014/55. Germany is thus following the example of other EU member states that have also made e-invoicing the standard for commercial transactions.
   
For now, companies only need to be able to receive e-invoices, and this only applies to invoice amounts over €250. However, the e-invoicing requirement will expand gradually until 2028, so it is advisable to address this issue now.

The following transition periods apply:
2025: Receipt obligation for all companies
2027: Issue obligation for companies with a turnover over €800,000
2028: Issue obligation for all companies

An e-invoice is an electronic invoice that is issued, transmitted and received in a structured XML data format according to the European EN 16931 series of standards. This also enables automated further processing. The electronic invoice data can be imported directly into the processing systems without any media discontinuity.
PDF files, image files or scanned paper invoices are only suitable for a digital, visual presentation of an invoice. Nevertheless, they do not meet the legal requirements for an e-invoice.

In addition to purely structured e-invoices, hybrid formats are also permitted. A hybrid format combines a structured data section (e.g., XML file in the EN 16931 standard) with a human-readable data section (e.g., PDF document). One example of this is the ZUGFeRD format (also known as Factur-X), which meets the requirements for an e-invoice.

The German Federal Ministry of Finance has compiled a collection of frequently asked questions and answers regarding the introduction of e-invoicing (available in German only):
Fragen und Antworten zur Einführung der obligatorischen (verpflichtenden) E-Rechnung zum 1. Januar 2025

Enable E-Invoices in ConfTool
With ConfTool you can create e-invoices in an easy and straightforward way.

To enable e-invoices, please go to:
Overview => Settings => Main Settings for Participant Registration
In the section “Create E-Invoices in Factur-X / ZUGFeRD Format”, for the option “Enable E-Invoices”, select the setting “Yes, embed XML invoice data in PDF invoices.”

Please fill in all the mandatory information for e-invoices to comply with the legal requirements of EU Directive 2014/55 and EN 16931 (see image 1). This includes the full name and address of the seller, the country code, a communication URL, as well as the details of a contact person.

You will also have to enter a valid VAT identification number in the section “Issuer Data of Registration Confirmations, Invoices and Receipts” (see image 2). If you do not have an EU VAT ID, please enter your tax number.

We provide you with e-invoices in the legally recognized hybrid formats Factur-X and ZUGFeRD (PDF with embedded XML).

To create PDF invoices as e-invoices in a hybrid format such as ZUGFeRD, it is necessary that each PDF file contains exactly one invoice. If a PDF file contains multiple invoices, it cannot be displayed in a hybrid format because the additional XML structure can only be assigned to one invoice at a time.

Several online tools allow you to check and validate your e-invoices for accuracy:
https://ecosio.com/en/peppol-and-xml-document-validator
https://app.b2brouter.net/en/validation