Seamless integration guide for tax advisors and their clients
For tax advisors and accounting firms, the e-invoicing mandate is a dual challenge: they must not only convert their own processes but also support their clients through the transition. The key lies in seamless integration between e-invoicing software and DATEV.
This article shows how e-invoices in ZUGFeRD and XRechnung format can be automatically processed and transferred to DATEV Unternehmen Online — with minimal manual effort for both the firm and the client.
Why the status quo is not sustainable
In many accounting firms, the daily routine still looks like this: clients collect their documents — paper invoices, PDF invoices via email, receipts — and hand them over to the firm monthly. There, documents are manually entered into DATEV: assign document image, type in invoice data, assign accounts, create journal entry.
This process is time-consuming, error-prone and does not scale. For an average firm with 200 clients and 50 documents each per month, that means 10,000 manual entry operations every month. With the e-invoicing mandate, the situation changes fundamentally: e-invoices already contain all data in machine-readable form. Manual entry becomes obsolete.
The opportunity: E-invoices make document processing more efficient than ever. Instead of typing data, the tax advisor only reviews automatically generated posting proposals. This saves time and reduces errors.
From e-invoice to posting proposal in seconds
Clients submit their documents digitally: via email, a web portal or directly through DATEV Unternehmen Online. E-invoices in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung format are automatically detected and processed separately.
The software extracts structured data directly from the e-invoice XML: supplier, invoice number, date, net/gross amount, VAT, VAT ID, IBAN and line item details.
Tip for tax advisors: Since every invoice must state the seller's tax number or VAT ID (Sec. 14 (4) UStG) and e-invoices usually carry the VAT ID, live validation before posting pays off — invalid or unverified IDs jeopardise your clients' input tax deduction. Our free EU VAT validation tool verifies supplier VAT IDs across 27 EU member states + Northern Ireland live via the VIES interface — with optional legally compliant PDF report for the client file.
From the extracted data, the software generates a posting proposal in DATEV format: general ledger account, offsetting account, amount, tax code, posting text. Through machine learning, the account assignment improves with every processed invoice.
The posting proposals are transferred along with document images to DATEV Unternehmen Online or DATEV Kanzlei-Rechnungswesen. The tax advisor sees the proposals in the familiar DATEV environment and only needs to review and confirm them.
The tax advisor reviews the posting proposals in DATEV: Is the account assignment correct? Is the tax code right? Corrections flow back into the learning history to improve future assignments.
How clients submit documents simply and digitally
Clients simply forward incoming e-invoices to a dedicated email address. Invoices are automatically assigned to the client and processed. For many clients, this is the easiest starting point.
A web-based portal allows clients to upload documents directly — including categorisation and commenting functionality.
Clients already using DATEV Unternehmen Online can upload documents in the familiar interface. The integration ensures e-invoices are automatically detected and XML data extracted.
Practical tip: Start with email submission — it has the lowest barrier to entry. Clients wanting more convenience can upgrade to the web portal or DATEV Unternehmen Online.
Why the integration pays off for both sides
Docuflair Invoice automatically processes e-invoices and transfers posting proposals directly to DATEV. Less data entry, fewer errors, more advisory work. Schedule a free demo.
Answers to the most important questions about the DATEV integration
Yes. When an e-invoice is in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung format, the structured XML data can be automatically transferred to DATEV as a posting proposal. The tax advisor only needs to review and confirm the proposal.
Yes. Both XRechnung and ZUGFeRD are supported. With XRechnung, the XML is processed directly; with ZUGFeRD, the embedded XML data is extracted. Both formats deliver the same structured invoice data for the DATEV posting proposal.
No. Clients can submit documents via web-based upload, email or DATEV Unternehmen Online. Processing and DATEV handover happen server-side — no software installation required on the client's end.