Starting January 1, 2026, VAT on restaurant food will be permanently reduced to 7%. This change is part of the 2025 coalition agreement between CDU/CSU and SPD. To make it official, the VAT law will need to be updated in 2025. However, the government will need to cover the cost of this tax cut in future budgets. The reduced VAT is expected to save businesses about €3.5 billion each year, but... Read more

Starting January 1, 2025, small businesses in Germany must be able to receive and archive electronic invoices, even if they are not required to issue them. Read more

Germany now recognizes Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 and XRechnung as functionally equivalent for e-invoicing public authorities, giving businesses the flexibility to use either format. Read more

On April 9, 2024, Germany’s coalition government announced that the reduced 7% VAT rate for restaurant and café food will return on January 1, 2026. Originally introduced in 2020 as a COVID-19 relief measure, the rate had expired in early 2024. Its reinstatement is part of the government’s broader economic strategy. On April 9, 2024, Germany’s new coalition government (CDU and SPD) announced... Read more

Although over 70% of German consumers prefer digital payments, many small businesses still don’t accept them—unlike peers in countries like Sweden and the Netherlands. Read more

S4F backoffice patch is intended for users who have already installed S4F backoffice and are intended to update existing installations to latest version. To do so apply only patches that are marked with version number that is newer than your currently installed instance of backoffice. Read more

A new EU Trust List format, TLv6, will officially replace TLv5 in May 2025 as part of the updated eIDAS Regulation (EU 2024/1183). It introduces key technical changes like a new URI field, updated signature format, and optional phone number support. Organizations must update their systems to avoid signature validation failures and service disruptions, as TLv5 will no longer be valid once TLv6 take... Read more

Starting January 1, 2025, e-invoicing is mandatory for all domestic B2B transactions in Germany as part of the Growth Opportunities Act. Only structured electronic formats like XRechnung and ZUGFeRD (v2.0.1+) are accepted, and businesses must be able to receive and process these invoices without requiring recipient consent. Companies must update their invoicing systems to comply or risk penalties,... Read more

Starting in 2025, many German businesses using hardware-based technical security systems (TSS) for cash registers will face expiring certificates issued under the 2020 Cash Register Security Ordinance. Read more

The German Schleswig-Holstein Court has ruled that vending machine kiosks, which are rooms with multiple vending machines, do not fall under the Shop Opening Hours Act. This means they do not need an exemption to operate outside standard shop hours. Read more

Germany is debating whether to abolish the mandatory issuance of paper receipts, with proponents arguing it would reduce bureaucracy and environmental waste, while opponents warn it could lead to increased tax evasion. The German Tax Union and DFKA advocate for keeping the requirement, emphasizing its role in tax security, while digital receipts are already an alternative. Read more

The EU adopted the VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package on March 11, 2025, introducing major changes to the VAT system starting January 1, 2027. Key reforms include mandatory digital VAT reporting by 2030, new VAT collection rules for online platforms, and expanded One-Stop Shop (OSS) registration to simplify cross-border compliance. Additional measures, such as mandatory e-invoicing, phasing out... Read more

S4F backoffice patch is intended for users who have already installed S4F backoffice and are intended to update existing installations to latest version. To do so apply only patches that are marked with version number that is newer than your currently installed instance of backoffice. Read more

The European Commission is tightening regulations on e-commerce imports to address the surge of unsafe and counterfeit goods, particularly from China, by reforming customs rules and increasing product safety checks. Key measures include removing the duty exemption for low-value parcels, introducing a potential customs fee, establishing priority control areas, and launching an EU-wide product safet... Read more

S4F backoffice patch is intended for users who have already installed S4F backoffice and are intended to update existing installations to latest version. To do so apply only patches that are marked with version number that is newer than your currently installed instance of backoffice. Read more

Germany has launched an e-commerce action plan to strengthen market surveillance, enforce platform obligations, and enhance consumer and environmental protections. The plan ensures that all online merchants, whether from the EU or third countries, comply with product safety, consumer rights, and fair competition rules, aligning with the European Digital Services Act (DSA). The German government ha... Read more