Attesta turns each paid Shopify order into a ZUGFeRD 2.2 invoice with the EN 16931 XML inside it, files it in a ten-year GoBD archive and emails it. You never open the order.
Germany is moving B2B invoicing to a structured format on a fixed timetable. Getting it right means the format, the tax treatment and the archive, on every single order.
German businesses above €800,000 prior-year turnover must issue structured e-invoices for B2B sales. Everyone else follows.
The invoice needs structured data a machine can read. ZUGFeRD 2.2 carries the EN 16931 XML inside a PDF/A-3, so it stays readable to both.
German tax law generally requires invoices to be retained for eight years. They must stay complete, readable and available; longer periods can apply in particular cases.
Sources reviewed 7 October 2026: the German Federal Ministry of Finance's e-invoice FAQ and the transitional rules in § 27 UStG. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
Attesta asks about five questions once, then handles the invoice from payment to archive without another decision from you.
An order is paid, and Attesta numbers the invoice, renders it, validates it against EN 16931, archives it and emails it. Nobody opens the order.
Standard 19% or 7%, Reverse-Charge, intra-Community supply, export outside the EU, or Kleinunternehmer §19. Decided from the buyer, not from a setting you have to remember.
Business buyers add their EU VAT ID in checkout, in the cart, or on their account. Attesta checks it against VIES and stores the consultation number with the invoice.
Refund a paid order and Attesta issues an EN 16931 credit note that reverses the refunded amount, references the original invoice and takes the next number in the same sequence.
Pick a design, set your accent colour and logo, and watch a live preview. Blocks the law requires can be reordered and restyled, never removed.
Every document is hashed with SHA-256 and chained to the one before it. Export the ledger as a GoBD ZIP, or hand your accountant an EXTF booking batch.
Your company and tax IDs, whether invoices issue automatically, and whether to continue an existing number series. Everything else Attesta reads from your shop.
Attesta watches paid orders. Each one becomes a ZUGFeRD 2.2 PDF with the EN 16931 XML inside it, validated, archived in a tamper-evident chain and emailed to the buyer.
A DATEV EXTF Buchungsstapel with your SKR03 or SKR04 accounts, or the whole ledger as a GoBD ZIP with a manifest. No folder of PDFs.
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Short answers for planning purposes. Your adviser should confirm how the rules apply to your business.
Not at the same time. For domestic B2B sales, businesses with more than €800,000 in prior-year turnover generally lose the transitional option for ordinary PDFs or paper from 1 January 2027. Businesses at or below that threshold can generally use the transition through the end of 2027. Exceptions and special cases still apply.
No. An e-invoice must contain structured data that can be processed automatically. A compliant ZUGFeRD file combines that structured data with a human-readable PDF.
Yes. Enter the last number already issued during onboarding and Attesta continues from it instead of starting a separate sequence.
No. Attesta automates document creation, validation, delivery and archiving, but your business remains responsible for its tax treatment and should obtain professional advice for its circumstances.
Need the operational details? Read the Attesta documentation.
Install Attesta free and let every paid order leave a legally valid ZUGFeRD invoice behind it.
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