Created from the finished invoice
- The data comes from recorded hours, orders and price lists.
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung are created automatically on sending.
- No converter, no retyping, no detour via a second tool.
E-invoicing software in teamspace: ZUGFeRD and XRechnung with no additional tool.
You write the invoice as usual, and ZUGFeRD and XRechnung are created in the process automatically. teamspace reads incoming e-invoices the same way. All of this sits inside the billing function, with no second program and no converter.
Overview
E-invoicing without a second system.
Anyone already issuing invoices in teamspace does not need to buy anything extra for e-invoicing. The three points that matter day to day.
Received the way they are sent
- teamspace recognises incoming e-invoices by the embedded XML.
- A click turns it into an incoming invoice with the fields read out.
- Both directions run in the same billing function.
Included in the billing scope
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung belong to the billing function, with no module surcharge.
- No separate licence for e-invoicing.
- Set up once, then as simple as a normal invoice.
Two formats, one invoice
One invoice, both mandatory formats.
Once e-invoicing is active, teamspace generates both formats for every invoice. All you choose is which one goes to whom.
eine Rechnung
RE-2026-0042 4.760,00 €
Mandat Stadtwerke · Beratung
erstellt wie gewohnt
beim Versand
automatisch ZUGFeRD
B2B-KundePDF mit eingebettetem XML
lesbar und maschinell
XRechnung
Behördereines XML
Leitweg-ID 991-12345-67
EN 16931 eine Norm, beide Formate entstehen mit der Rechnung
Why now
Since 2025 the PDF no longer counts.
The e-invoicing requirement in B2B trade comes from the German Growth Opportunities Act and applies in stages. Since 1 January 2025 every domestic business must be able to receive and process e-invoices, without the sender having to agree beforehand. A PDF by email does not meet this requirement, because it lacks the structured format.
- From 2025 the receiving requirement applies to everyone.
- From 2027 businesses with prior-year revenue above 800,000 euros must send.
- From 2028 everyone in B2B trade must send.
A few cases stay outside the scope: small-amount invoices up to 250 euros, transport tickets and invoices to private individuals. Many businesses already issue XRechnung to public authorities anyway. Anyone who sets up receiving early simply has to switch sending on later.
The comparison
ZUGFeRD or XRechnung, per recipient.
Both formats are legally recognised and follow the same standard EN 16931. Public authorities get the XRechnung, where it is mandatory; corporate customers usually get ZUGFeRD. teamspace generates both automatically, you only choose the recipient.
Feature
ZUGFeRD
XRechnung
Structure
PDF with embedded XML
Pure XML
Human readable
Machine readable
Mandatory for public authorities
Typical recipient
B2B customers
Public authorities
Base standard
EN 16931
EN 16931
Usual transmission
Email, customer portal
Authority portal, Peppol, email
First call
Which recipients expect which format from you?
We go through your e-invoicing case together once: which customers get ZUGFeRD, which authorities expect XRechnung and what is already in place at your end.
How an e-invoice is created in teamspace.
From order to sent e-invoice in five steps, most of which run on their own.
- 1
Recording
Record the work on the order
Staff book hours, flat rates and travel expenses on the order. teamspace knows the client and their preferred format.
- 2
Invoice
Issue the invoice
At the end of the period teamspace proposes an invoice with all billable items. The required details are in the master data: complete addresses with country, a stored bank account and, for authorities, the Leitweg-ID.
- 3
Format
Both formats are created automatically
Once e-invoicing is active, teamspace generates both ZUGFeRD and XRechnung for every invoice. Which format is sent is stored per client.
- 4
Sending
Send as usual
ZUGFeRD goes out as a PDF by email, XRechnung as an XML attachment. You reach authorities via the usual channels such as an authority portal or the Peppol network.
- 5
Archive
Retain in a traceable way
Every invoice keeps a GoBD-compliant history. On request, 5 POINT activates GoBD mode for audit-proof retention over ten years, exportable even beyond the contract term.
Receiving
teamspace reads out incoming e-invoices.
E-invoices come in like any other invoice, by email to the inbound mailbox. When teamspace recognises an e-invoice in the attachment, whether ZUGFeRD or XRechnung, it marks it with a barcode symbol.
- One click on the attachment opens the "Create incoming invoice" action.
- On the Document data tab the fields read out are shown: supplier, invoice number, amount, tax rate and due date.
- The Preview tab shows the human-readable version for checking.
Nobody retypes the values. With one click the attachment becomes a checked incoming invoice that carries on into the approval and accounting path.
“Our staff appreciate how simple the system is.”
Requirements
What an e-invoice has to contain.
For an e-invoice to be accepted by the recipient, a few master data points have to be complete. This is set up once.
Addresses
Complete addresses
- Invoice issuer and recipient with address and country
- Maintained in the CRM, stored once
- Some recipients additionally require the Leitweg-ID
Bank details
Stored bank account
- At least one bank account set up on the company
- Entered in your own company's CRM record
- So the recipient knows where to pay
Layout
A standard-compliant layout
- The invoice layout PDF/A-3 compatible
- Gross calculation set to the tax base amount
- Adjusted once, then valid for every invoice
Setting up
Which format applies is set per customer.
E-invoicing is switched on once, then it runs along. In the configuration under Finances and Documents you activate ZUGFeRD and XRechnung, then you define for whom the format applies.
- For all invoices as the default, or specifically only for certain customers and templates.
- Per organisation the format can be set directly in the master data.
- The Leitweg-ID you store on the authority's CRM contact in the Buyer Reference field.
That way one customer gets their ZUGFeRD invoice and the authority gets their XRechnung, without anyone switching over on every invoice.
Features around e-invoicing.
What teamspace covers when creating, receiving and retaining e-invoices.
Create and send
- Generate ZUGFeRD and XRechnung per EN 16931
- Both formats automatically for every invoice
- Leitweg-ID and Buyer Reference on the contact
- Send ZUGFeRD as a PDF by email, XRechnung as an XML attachment
- Transmission via the usual channels such as authority portal and Peppol network
- Finished e-invoice externally verifiable, for instance with the ELSTER visualiser
Receive and process
- Receive e-invoices by email
- Recognise ZUGFeRD and XRechnung in the attachment by the barcode
- Import as an incoming invoice with the fields read out, in one click
- Recognise the supplier and assign it to the contact
- Approval workflow before booking
- Hand off to financial accounting via the DATEV interface (enterprise)
Compliance and retention
- GoBD mode on request, activated exclusively by 5 POINT
- In the activated mode audit-proof and technically not deletable
- Retention over ten years, exportable at any time
- GoBD-compliant history per invoice
- Cancellation as a full invoice correction with a reference to the original
Case Study
An IT service provider switches to e-invoicing.
Illustrative practical example. Concrete figures depend on the starting point, the industry and the implementation and are not guaranteed. A typical scenario: an IT service provider with 22 employees introduces e-invoicing at the turn of the year, on the receiving side and for selected B2B customers.
Starting point
Until now only PDF invoices went out by email. With the receiving requirement, incoming e-invoices in several formats have to be processed. At the same time, three major customers require ZUGFeRD or XRechnung from their suppliers.
Solution
teamspace recognises incoming e-invoices, reads them out and routes them into approval. For the three major customers the preferred format is stored per client. The invoices are created in the correct format and go out by email with an XML attachment or via the authority portal.
0 €
extra cost for e-invoicing in the billing function
from 2025
ready to receive with no transition phase
1 system
for creating, sending and receiving
Use cases
What the e-invoice connects to in the document process.
The e-invoice is one step in the billing path. These areas sit alongside it and share the same data.
Billing software
Create, send and track quotes, orders and outgoing invoices.
Learn moreIncoming invoices
Receive supplier invoices, check them and assign them to the project.
Learn moreOrder billing
Bill fixed price, time and material and flat rate on the same order.
Learn moreDATEV export
Invoices and documents via the certified interface to DATEV Unternehmen online.
Digital receipt capture
Capture receipts by photo, upload or email and file them centrally.
Learn moreDunning
Track open invoices with staged dunning.
Learn moreE-invoicing software comparison
What matters when you compare e-invoicing software.
Anyone comparing e-invoicing software comes across two routes: a separate e-invoicing tool that runs alongside the accounting and converts invoice data into ZUGFeRD or XRechnung on import, or an integrated solution that creates the structured format directly when the invoice is sent. The difference is decided less by the format, which the EN 16931 standard prescribes anyway, than by how often someone carries data from one system into another.
Three points are worth a close look in the comparison: is the e-invoice created from the finished invoice, or through an extra converter step? Does the software cover both directions, that is sending and receiving? And is there a separate module or licence surcharge for e-invoicing? In teamspace, ZUGFeRD and XRechnung are created with no second programme, no surcharge and in both directions from the same billing function.
An honest placement
When integrated e-invoicing fits, and when a separate tool is enough.
A separate e-invoicing tool is enough
- Invoices are created in a system that does not produce an e-invoicing format itself.
- Only a few e-invoices a year, almost entirely to public authorities.
- The accounting sits entirely with the tax adviser, who handles the format and sending.
Integrated e-invoicing fits
- Invoices are created in teamspace anyway, from orders and recorded hours.
- ZUGFeRD and XRechnung should be created with no converter and no retyping.
- Sending and receiving run in the same system, with no second licence.
- B2B and authority recipients are mixed, a different format per customer.
Part of the invoicing software
Quote, order, invoice in one place.
The e-invoice is the last step of a continuous path: the quote becomes the order, the order becomes the invoice, and on sending ZUGFeRD and XRechnung are created. Dunning and the DATEV handover hang on the same document. How it all works together is shown in the invoicing software overview.
To the invoicing softwareWhat it is about
Check the e-invoice and retain it audit-proof.
An e-invoice, also called an electronic invoice, is an invoice whose contents are available in a structured, machine-readable format, in Germany as ZUGFeRD or XRechnung. Both follow the European standard EN 16931. A pure PDF does not legally count as an e-invoice, because it lacks the structured data. The right software creates this format directly on sending, rather than rebuilding it through a separate programme.
The actual values of an e-invoice sit in the XML and are not visible without an aid. Anyone who wants to check a finished file visualises it, that is, turns the figures in the background into a readable invoice. If a recipient rejects an invoice and flags a field, an external checking service helps, such as the free visualiser from ELSTER. The format-specific details are on the pages XRechnung erstellen and ZUGFeRD-Rechnung erstellen.
E-invoices are retained like any tax-relevant document. If 5 POINT activates GoBD mode on request, invoices and cancellations stay audit-proof for ten years and can no longer be technically deleted. The data is held exclusively in the EU, in an ISO 27001-certified data centre in Frankfurt am Main, GDPR compliant with a data processing agreement as standard. The contracting party is 5 POINT AG from Darmstadt. Recording is done in time tracking, billing in the invoicing software, and booking via the DATEV export.
Related modules
What the e-invoice hangs on.
The data for the e-invoice comes from three modules and flows back into it.
Time tracking online
Booked hours become invoice items and so land in the e-invoice. Recording and billing run in the same login.
- Project time and attendance
- Hours per project and phase
- Basis of the invoice
Project management
The project is created from the order, the invoice from the work done. Plan, actual and billing sit in one place.
- Order becomes project
- Work per phase
- Basis of billing
CRM
Customers and authorities are organisations in the CRM. There the address, the preferred format and the Leitweg-ID hang on the contact.
- Recipient as organisation
- Format stored on the record
- Leitweg-ID on the contact
Frequently asked questions about e-invoicing
What is e-invoicing software?
E-invoicing software creates and receives invoices in a structured, machine-readable format, in Germany as ZUGFeRD or XRechnung to the EN 16931 standard. In teamspace this is not an add-on tool but part of the invoicing: you write the invoice as usual, the structured format is created automatically on sending, and teamspace reads incoming e-invoices from the embedded XML. The data is held exclusively in an ISO 27001-certified data centre in Frankfurt am Main, in line with the GDPR. A single piece of software thus covers creating, sending and receiving, with no second licence and no converter.
What is an e-invoice?
An e-invoice is an electronic invoice in a structured, machine-readable format, in Germany typically ZUGFeRD (a hybrid of PDF and XML) or XRechnung (pure XML). A PDF invoice by email does not legally count as an e-invoice, because it lacks the structured format. Both formats are based on the European standard EN 16931.
When does the e-invoicing requirement apply in Germany?
Since 1 January 2025 all domestic businesses must be able to receive and process e-invoices. From 1 January 2027 businesses with prior-year revenue above 800,000 euros must send e-invoices. From 1 January 2028 the sending requirement applies to everyone in B2B trade. For public authorities, XRechnung has applied for longer.
What is the difference between ZUGFeRD and XRechnung?
ZUGFeRD (short for Zentraler User Guide des Forums elektronische Rechnung Deutschland) is a hybrid format: a PDF with embedded XML that humans and machines can read. XRechnung is pure XML, readable only by machines, and required as mandatory by public authorities. Both follow the standard EN 16931. In teamspace both formats are created automatically.
Do I have to choose the format for every invoice?
No. Once e-invoicing is active, teamspace generates both ZUGFeRD and XRechnung for every invoice. Which format a recipient gets, you store once per customer organisation. Authorities typically receive XRechnung, B2B customers ZUGFeRD.
Do I need an additional tool for e-invoicing?
Not with teamspace. ZUGFeRD and XRechnung belong to the billing function, with no module surcharge and no separate licence. You need no second system, no external converter and no third-party interface. Set up once, e-invoicing runs as simply as a normal invoice.
How are e-invoices sent?
ZUGFeRD you send as usual as a PDF by email. For the XRechnung you attach the XML file. You reach authorities with the e-invoice via the usual channels: by email, via an authority portal or via the Peppol network. teamspace creates the standard-compliant file; teamspace does not operate its own Peppol network.
Can we also receive e-invoices?
Yes. Incoming e-invoices come in by email. teamspace recognises ZUGFeRD and XRechnung by the attachment, marks them with a barcode symbol and turns them into an incoming invoice in one click, with the fields read out. On the Preview tab you see the human-readable version for checking.
How are e-invoices retained?
Like any tax-relevant document. Every invoice keeps a GoBD-compliant history. If 5 POINT activates GoBD mode on request, invoices and cancellations stay audit-proof for ten years and can no longer be technically deleted. On request from the tax authority, all e-invoices can be exported at any time.
Who is exempt from the e-invoicing requirement?
Exempt are small-amount invoices up to 250 euros, transport tickets and invoices to private individuals (B2C). For all other domestic turnover between businesses the requirement applies. The receiving requirement has applied since 1 January 2025 with no transition period; for sending, the stages 2027 and 2028 apply.
What is a Leitweg-ID and do I need one?
The Leitweg-ID addresses an e-invoice within the German public administration. It is held in the Buyer Reference field (BT-10). Anyone who invoices authorities stores the Leitweg-ID on the recipient's CRM contact; there it is a mandatory entry in the XRechnung.
What matters when comparing e-invoicing software?
When comparing e-invoicing software, three points count more than the list of formats: is the e-invoice created automatically from the finished invoice, or does it need a separate converter step? Does the software cover sending and receiving? And is there a separate module or licence surcharge? In teamspace, ZUGFeRD and XRechnung to EN 16931 are created directly on sending, in both directions and with no extra licence, because e-invoicing is part of the billing function.
First call
ZUGFeRD and XRechnung are mandatory.
In the 15-minute call you see which formats your recipients expect, what is already in place at your end and where teamspace gets started fastest.