German invoices follow the mandatory content rules of § 14 UStG: full names and addresses of supplier and recipient, tax number or VAT ID (USt-IdNr.), invoice date and number, quantity and type of goods or services, the date of supply, net amounts by tax rate, and the VAT rate and amount. AlFasil extracts them all.
Number and date formats
German invoices write 1.234,56 € and 14.03.2026. AlFasil converts these to 1234.56 and 2026-03-14, so your spreadsheet formulas work regardless of where the invoice came from.
What AlFasil checks
- VAT rates: 19% standard and 7% reduced; mixed-rate invoices are checked per rate.
- USt-IdNr. format: DE followed by 9 digits.
- Totals: net + VAT = gross, within rounding.
E-invoices (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD)
Since 2025, businesses in Germany must be able to receive structured e-invoices, with issuing obligations phasing in afterwards. Many still arrive as plain PDFs or hybrid ZUGFeRD PDFs. XRechnung files in UBL syntax are read exactly. Files in CII syntax (ZUGFeRD, Factur-X and XRechnung CII) aren’t parsed yet, so for those AlFasil reads the visible invoice.
This page is general information. Check the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) for current rules.