German e-invoicing reporting system: industry body VeR backs existing infrastructure
Berlin, 22-24 June 2026 – The upcoming German e-invoicing reporting system was a central topic at the E-Rechnungsgipfel in Berlin. The Verband elektronische Rechnung (VeR), Germany’s industry association for e-invoicing, published a strategy paper in May 2026 titled “Effiziente Umsetzung des Meldesystems” and used the summit to bring its recommendations to the attention of policymakers and market participants.
What the VeR strategy paper proposes
VeR argues that when designing the national reporting system, the German government should not build an entirely new government platform, but instead build on existing e-invoicing infrastructure. In practice this means reusing the European semantic standard EN 16931 and connecting to the Peppol network, rather than opting for a separate German clearance model as some other EU member states have done. According to VeR, this approach would prevent businesses already connected to Peppol for cross-border invoicing from having to set up a second, incompatible infrastructure for domestic reporting. The paper also stresses that reusing existing Peppol Serviceprovider connections could significantly reduce implementation time and cost for businesses.
Context: from XRechnung to a national reporting system
Germany already made the receipt of XRechnung and ZUGFeRD invoices mandatory for domestic B2B transactions from 2025, as described in our earlier article on the German e-invoicing mandate. The proposed national reporting system goes a step further: while the current mandate concerns invoice format, the reporting system is meant to enable near real-time reporting of transaction data to the tax authorities. This is ahead of the ViDA requirements that will apply to cross-border B2B transactions across the EU from 1 July 2030. The exact technical design of the German system has not been finalised; the VeR paper is an industry recommendation, not settled government policy.
What this means for businesses trading with Germany
For businesses invoicing German customers, this is a development worth tracking. If the German government adopts VeR’s recommendation, an existing Peppol connection would remain usable for both cross-border invoicing and any future German reporting obligations. If Germany opts for its own clearance model instead, a separate technical connection may be needed alongside existing Peppol infrastructure, similar to what already applies for France with its Plateformes Agréées. Businesses weighing up the right partner for their German and international e-invoicing flows can compare current Peppol Serviceproviders using the Peppol.nu comparison tool.
The German e-invoicing reporting system has not yet been finalised, but the direction VeR is advocating fits the broader European shift towards Peppol as shared infrastructure. Peppol.now is following developments on this file closely and will report once the German government announces its decision.
