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E-Invoicing with Factur-X

Fiskl creates and reads e-invoices in the Factur-X format, which German businesses use for e-invoicing. This page explains how to turn Factur-X on, check an invoice before you send it, and import the e-invoices your vendors send you.

What Factur-X Is​

A Factur-X invoice is a PDF with a structured XML file embedded inside it. Your client reads the PDF like any other invoice, and their accounting software reads the XML. Factur-X is compatible with ZUGFeRD, the name the same format goes by in Germany.

Fiskl uses the Factur-X EXTENDED profile. The tax details in the XML come from how you classified your tax rates, including the exemption reason on exempt lines. That is why classification matters for e-invoicing.

Before You Begin​

Before you send your first Factur-X invoice, confirm you have:

Turn On Factur-X​

  1. Go to Settings > Accounting.
  2. Find the Factur-X card, described as Include Factur-X EXTENDED profile XML inside invoice PDF.
  3. Toggle the switch on.
  4. Select Save.

After you save, each invoice shows a Factur-X card, and invoice PDFs include the XML.

Factur-X on an Invoice​

The Factur-X card on an invoice shows whether that invoice includes the XML. It reads XML generation turned on or XML generation turned off. Toggle the switch to include or leave out the XML for that invoice.

You can change the switch only while the invoice is a draft. Once you send it, the setting is fixed.

If you turn Factur-X off in Settings > Accounting, invoices that already include the XML show the switch locked. Fiskl turns the XML off on that invoice the next time you save it.

Validate an Invoice​

Check an invoice against the Factur-X rules before you send it.

  1. Open the invoice.
  2. In the Factur-X card, select the validate icon beside the title. Its tooltip reads Validate invoice data over Factur-X requirements.
  3. Review the result.
ResultWhat it means
Factur-X validated successfullyThe invoice is ready to send.
Factur-X valid but warnings were foundThe invoice is valid. Review the Invoice data warnings before you send it.
Factur-X issues foundFix the errors listed under Scheme validation errors or Invoice data errors, then validate again.

To see the XML your client will receive, select Preview Factur-X XML content in the result.

If you send an invoice that still has Factur-X errors, Fiskl stops and shows Unable to update Invoice submission for client, with the errors listed. Fix them and send the invoice again.

What a Factur-X Invoice Needs​

RequirementDetails
A client with a name and countryThe client needs a company name or contact, and a country.
At least one line itemAn invoice with no line items cannot be sent as Factur-X.
One tax rate per line itemEach line item needs exactly one tax rate. Tax groups are not supported.
One tax agency per invoiceEvery line item needs a tax agency, and it must be the same one on every line.
A supported tax typeThe tax rate must be classified with a tax type that Factur-X supports.
Supported attachmentsAny file attached to the invoice must be in a supported format.

If a line item uses a unit that Factur-X does not support, the validation shows a warning. Fiskl uses H87, the code for "piece", in its place.

tip

Validate your first few Factur-X invoices before you send them. Most errors come from a missing client country or a tax group on a line item, and both take a minute to fix.

Receive E-Invoices From Vendors​

When a vendor sends you a Factur-X invoice, upload it to AI Expenses as you would any other bill. Fiskl reads the amounts, dates, and vendor from the embedded XML instead of scanning the PDF with AI.

  1. Go to Purchasing > AI Expenses.
  2. Select Upload.
  3. Select the vendor's Factur-X PDF.

The expense shows an E-invoice mark, with a note that Fiskl read it from the embedded XML. Fiskl matches the tax on each line to your classified tax rates.

Importing an e-invoice does not use your AI scanning allowance.

info

Upload the PDF with the XML embedded inside it. A separate XML file on its own is not accepted.

Common Issues​

The Factur-X card does not appear on my invoice

Factur-X is turned off for your company. Go to Settings > Accounting, toggle the Factur-X switch on, and select Save.

I cannot change the XML switch on an invoice

The invoice has already been sent. You can change the switch only on a draft invoice. If the switch is locked on a draft, Factur-X is turned off in Settings > Accounting.

Validation says a line item has a tax group assigned

Factur-X allows one tax rate per line item. Replace the tax group on that line with a single tax rate, then validate again.

Validation says a line item has no tax, or more than one

Each line item needs exactly one tax rate. Add a tax rate to the line, or remove the extra one. For a line with no tax charged, select a rate classified as Exempt with its exemption reason.

Validation says a line item is missing a tax agency, or has a different one

Every line item needs a tax rate that belongs to a tax agency, and all lines must use the same agency. Check the tax rate on the line named in the message. If your invoice covers two registrations, split it into two invoices.

Validation says the tax type is not supported

The tax rate on that line is not classified, or its tax type cannot be expressed in Factur-X. Go to Settings > Tax Management > Taxes and check the rate. If it shows Needs classification, classify it. See Classifying Tax Rates.

Validation says the client country is required

Open the client, add their country, and save. Then validate the invoice again.

An e-invoice from a vendor was scanned by AI instead of read from the XML

The file did not contain Factur-X XML that Fiskl could read. Ask the vendor to send the Factur-X PDF itself rather than a printed or rescanned copy.