The Growth Opportunities Act of 27 March 2024 introduced a binding standard for electronic invoices (e-invoice) from 2025, which applies to all supplies of goods and services performed between taxable persons (B2B) established in Germany. Staggered transition periods will apply for issuing e-invoices, but accepting such invoices in the prescribed format will be mandatory from 1 January 2025. Now the Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) has published a final decree on this matter.
On 14 June 2024, the Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) published a draft circular on the introduction of mandatory electronic invoicing for transactions between domestic businesses from 1 January 2025.
The current edition deals with the "Wachstumschancengesetz" (Growth Opportunity Act). This Act includes (but is not restricted to) important amendments with respect to future mandatory B2B electronic invoicing for businesses established in Germany.
Following the abolition of the requirement to authenticate an electronic invoice with an authorised digital signature, the finance ministry has dropped the corresponding requirement from its Audit Principles on Electronic Records.
The finance ministry has updated its VAT Implementation Decree in the light of the abolition of the requirement to authenticate an electronic invoice with an authorised electronic signature.
