Creating an invoice that meets the legal requirements in Germany is essential for every self-employed professional. With Accountable, the process is streamlined and easy. Follow this guide to create your legally compliant invoice in just a few steps. 😊
Before creating your first invoice in Accountable, check your personal details in your account. The following details are automatically added to every invoice:
Name and address of your business or self-employed activity
Tax number or VAT ID – at least one of the two must appear on an invoice. Whether you need to show your VAT ID on your invoices is explained in this article about the VAT ID.
IBAN, so your clients know where to send their payment
You can find these under "Account" → "Settings" → "Personal details" in the menu bar. Without this, your invoice may not be valid, and you will not be able to receive payments.
Follow these simple steps to create your invoice:
Click on "Revenues" → "Create invoice"
Enter your client’s details:
Add your client's full name and address. Make sure the details are correct so the invoice meets the legal requirements. For businesses in another EU country, you also need their VAT ID.
Add your goods or services:
Click "Add item" and fill in:
Name & description: What did you deliver or provide? The more specific, the fewer questions you'll get.
Category: Choose the category that fits your sales of goods/services.
Quantity & price: Enter the quantity and the price per unit (net, i.e. excluding VAT).
Advanced settings: Optionally add a discount and adjust the unit. Pick a preset (e.g. hour, days, kilometres) or enter your own: just click into the "Unit" field and overwrite what's there.
Choose the right VAT rate:
Standard taxation: If applicable, select the VAT rate for each item. In most cases 19% applies. For certain services, the reduced rate of 7% applies.
Small business owner (Kleinunternehmer): No VAT is shown. Accountable automatically adds the legally required note.
No VAT / reverse charge (e.g. for clients abroad): You don't charge VAT yourself; your client accounts for it. Accountable adds the required note here too. You'll find more details in our article How do I invoice clients abroad?
Check the details:
Invoice date: The date on which you issue the invoice.
Service date: The date (or period) in which you provided the service. It can differ from the invoice date. Example: you deliver on 28 May and write the invoice on 3 June, so 28 May is your service date.
Invoice number: Invoice numbers must be consecutive, gapless and ascending, so that every invoice can be clearly identified and no number is skipped or used twice. Accountable assigns them automatically. You can also change them manually, but make sure they still meet these requirements.
Payment term: By when should your clients pay? 14 or 30 days is common.
Invoice templates: You can save invoice designs as a template and reuse them whenever you need.
Check the amounts:
Accountable automatically calculates the net amount (excluding VAT), the VAT amount and the gross amount (total including VAT) from your input. Still, take a quick look to make sure everything is right.
Payment Instructions:
Your IBAN from your personal details is automatically added to the invoice so your clients know where to pay. If you'd like to give different payment instructions, you can change them here.
Customising your invoice design is possible in all paid plans. Accountable lets you design your invoice to fit your self-employed activity. First you choose one of 4 styles as a base. Then you decide on:
Colour: to match your branding
Font and font size
Density: whether your invoice looks more compact or more airy
Table borders: with or without borders around your line items
Language: the language your invoice is created in
Currency: if you work with clients abroad, you can also create invoices in other currencies
Add element: add your own custom line to the invoice, for example a short note, a thank-you message, conditions or any extra information you’d like to show
⚠️ Please note: you can customise your invoices in all paid plans. Unfortunately, this isn't possible in the free "Invoices Free" plan.
Once your invoice is ready, you have several options for sending it:
Save + exit: You first save the invoice as a draft and send it later. It has not been sent yet.
Download as PDF: Download the invoice and send it manually by email or another way.
Send directly from Accountable: Send the invoice straight from the app to your client.
Choose the option that works best for you and your client.
💡 Good to know: e-invoicing. Since 2025, businesses in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices; transitional periods apply for issuing them. Find out which deadlines apply to you and how to send e-invoices with Accountable in this article. |
Once an invoice has been sent, it counts as an official document and, for tax reasons, must not be changed retroactively. If you made a mistake, issue a cancellation invoice and write a new one. You can find out how here.
It's important to make sure VAT is applied correctly, as an incorrect invoice can cause legal problems. If you notice afterwards, cancel the invoice and issue a corrected new invoice with the VAT amount added.
It depends: in general, your invoice must show either your tax number or your VAT ID. We explain when you need a VAT ID here.
Whether and how you show VAT depends on the country and on whether your clients are businesses or private individuals. You'll find everything you need in this article.
Your first invoice is done. That's a real milestone! 🎉 If anything was unclear along the way, just write to us at [email protected]. We're happy to help. 😊
🎥 Prefer to watch rather than read? In our webinar Accountable Live, we walk you through the web version step by step, from your first expense to your tax return. Sign up here!
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Author - Sophia Merzbach
Sophia has been a key member of the Accountable team for many years, bringing a unique blend of journalistic precision and in-depth tax expertise to her work.
Who is Sophia ?Thank you for your feedback!
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06/04/2026
In the world where everyone seems to be out to get small entrepreneurs and overwhelm them with new rules, more taxes and reporting obligations, Accountable often feels like the one steady partner that actually wants you to succeed, providing quick, clear and personalised support. Thank you!
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10/04/2026
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