What is the XRechnung standard?
Effective: 2017-06-30 · Authority: KoSIT (Koordinierungsstelle fur IT-Standards)
XRechnung is the German electronic invoice standard for public sector B2G invoicing. It is a CIUS of EN 16931, available in both UBL 2.1 and CII syntax. Governed by KoSIT, XRechnung defines additional mandatory fields beyond EN 16931 including the buyer reference (Leitweg-ID) required for routing to German public authorities.
What is the Leitweg-ID in XRechnung?
The Leitweg-ID is a mandatory routing identifier in XRechnung invoices that directs the invoice to the correct German public authority. It is provided by the buyer and must be included in the BT-10 (Buyer reference) field of the XRechnung document. Without a valid Leitweg-ID, invoices cannot be routed correctly to federal or state authorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where are XRechnung invoices submitted?
- XRechnung invoices to federal authorities are submitted via the OZG-RE (Onlinezugangsgesetz - Rechnungseingang) portal or via Peppol. State and municipal authorities may have separate portals. Large businesses use API or Peppol connectivity. Smaller suppliers use the web upload interface.
- Is XRechnung required for B2B invoicing in Germany?
- No. XRechnung is mandatory for B2G (public sector) invoicing only. For B2B, Germany's Wachstumschancengesetz mandates EN 16931-compliant formats from 2025/2027 but does not mandate XRechnung specifically. ZUGFeRD 2.x is commonly used for B2B.
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