🇩🇪 Germany
German accounting — ELSTER, e-invoicing, DATEV & GoBD
VAT, GoBD-grade records, ZUGFeRD/XRechnung and DATEV export — together with UK and French workflows in one account.
Built for how German finance works
From ELSTER pre-registration returns to what your Steuerberater expects in DATEV format.
ELSTER & Umsatzsteuer
Submit German VAT pre-registration returns through the official electronic channel your Finanzamt expects — with an audit trail from bank feed to return line.
ZUGFeRD & XRechnung (e-invoicing)
Issue and receive machine-readable invoices so B2B mandates and customer AP portals are covered without a separate e-invoice tool.
DATEV export
One-click exports structured for German tax advisors — fewer manual journals before your Steuerberater imports into their suite.
GoBD & record keeping
Immutable audit logs, document storage and revision history designed around the principles German auditors look for during reviews.
Payroll accounting in Germany
Payroll journals and payslip storage aligned to local expectations — sitting next to your UK payroll sync where you hire across borders. A dedicated German payroll integration is on the roadmap.
Lexoffice, sevDesk — and Finovo
German incumbents win on local habit and price. Finovo matches the compliance story — and adds HMRC MTD plus French DGFiP TVA when your footprint crosses borders. (Many teams also evaluate Lexware-class suites; see how we compare to Lexoffice and sevDesk below.)
Lexoffice
Market leader for German SMBs with aggressive pricing. UK VAT and French TVA typically require another product. Finovo keeps ELSTER, MTD and DGFiP filing in one subscription.
Finovo vs Lexoffice →sevDesk
Modern UI and strong e-invoice story for German startups. Cross-border payroll and multi-country tax returns still split across tools — Finovo unifies them.
Finovo vs sevDesk →Why Finovo fits German HQ + EU ops
Berlin HQ with a UK customer base or a French subsidiary is common. Finovo gives German GoBD discipline while your London team stays MTD-clean and your Paris office files TVA from the same platform.
Also need the UK or France?
Jump to country-specific pages with local compliance detail.
Common questions about German accounting
- Can I submit ELSTER VAT returns directly from Finovo?
- Yes. Finovo sends Umsatzsteuervoranmeldungen (monthly/quarterly VAT pre-returns) and annual Umsatzsteuererklärungen to ELSTER directly. The calculation, supporting data and submission confirmation all stay in your Finovo workspace.
- Does Finovo support DATEV export for my Steuerberater?
- Yes. Finovo exports DATEV-compatible files (transactions, chart of accounts, open items) that your tax adviser can import into their practice software. You can generate an export at any time without waiting for year-end.
- Is Finovo GoBD-compliant?
- Yes. Records in Finovo are immutable, timestamped and stored in a way that meets GoBD (Grundsätze zur ordnungsmäßigen Führung und Aufbewahrung von Büchern) requirements for digital bookkeeping — no alteration after posting, full audit trail, and compliant retention periods.
- Does Finovo generate ZUGFeRD or XRechnung e-invoices?
- Yes. Finovo creates e-invoices in ZUGFeRD and XRechnung formats as required under German e-invoicing regulations. Public-sector suppliers can use XRechnung; private-sector B2B invoices use ZUGFeRD hybrid PDFs with an embedded XML payload.
Ready to unify German finance ops?
60-day trial on Professional · 30 days on other plans · No credit card · Cancel anytime · UK, France and Germany included in every plan.