E-commerce businesses in Germany face a particular challenge: hundreds or thousands of transactions per day must not only be processed but also correctly recorded in the books. The DATEV integration is the crucial building block for automatically converting orders, payments, and returns into accounting entries - all while maintaining GoBD compliance. In this article, you will learn what matters in integration and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Why DATEV Is Essential in E-Commerce
DATEV is the dominant software in the German tax consulting market. Over 90 percent (Bundeskartellamt) of all tax firms in Germany work with DATEV products. For e-commerce businesses, this means in practice: anyone who wants to provide their tax advisor with clean, pre-processed data can hardly avoid a DATEV integration.
Without an automated connection, accounting data must be prepared and transferred manually. For an online shop processing several hundred orders per day, this is not only time-consuming but also error-prone. Incorrect account assignments, missing receipts, or unmatched payments lead to queries from the tax advisor - and in the worst case, problems during tax audits.
The digitalization of business processes continues to advance: according to the Digital Office Index 2024 (Bitkom), more than half of the surveyed companies are already planning or using AI-powered solutions for automating administrative processes. In e-commerce, this trend is particularly pronounced, as transaction volumes quickly push traditional accounting methods to their limits. Especially in the B2B space, digitalization plays a central role - our article on B2B digitalization explains how companies are transforming their sales processes digitally.
The more transactions an online shop processes, the greater the advantage of an automated DATEV integration. What works manually with ten orders per day becomes a bottleneck with hundreds or thousands of orders.
DATEV Ecosystem: Key Components
DATEV offers an extensive ecosystem of products and integrations relevant to e-commerce. Understanding the individual components is crucial for a successful connection.
DATEV Unternehmen online
Platform for digital document exchange between businesses and tax firms. Documents are digitally captured and made available to the tax advisor.
DATEVconnect
Enables bidirectional integration of DATEV products into heterogeneous software landscapes - in your own network or via cloud services.
DATEV Posting Batches
Standardized import of accounting entries in EXTF format. The most common way to transmit transaction data from e-commerce systems.
What Data Is Transferred?
A DATEV integration in e-commerce must process and correctly assign different data types. The data flow typically covers the following areas:
| Data Type | Source | Target in DATEV |
|---|---|---|
| Orders | Shop System | Posting Batch (Revenue) |
| Payments | Payment Provider | Bank Postings |
| Returns | Shop / ERP | Reversal Postings |
| Fees | Payment / Marketplace | Expense Postings |
| Invoices | Shop System | Document Archive |
| Credit Notes | Shop / ERP | Correction Postings |
The challenge lies in correct assignment: every transaction must be allocated to the right revenue or expense account, tax rates must be correctly determined, and the link between order, payment, and receipt must be fully traceable. This becomes particularly complex with returns and credit notes - professional returns management provides the necessary data for clean accounting.
Technical Requirements for the Integration
The technical implementation of a DATEV integration requires consideration of various formats, protocols, and standards. Here are the most important aspects:
- EXTF Format: The DATEV export format for posting batches. Structured CSV files with a defined layout for accounting entries, general ledger accounts, and debtors/creditors
- XML Interface: For transmitting structured document data to DATEV Unternehmen online
- REST API: DATEVconnect offers modern API endpoints for automated data exchange
- EBICS Protocol: PSD2-compliant banking protocol for secure payment data reconciliation
- Document Images: PDF or image files of invoices and credit notes for the digital document archive
The EXTF format (DATEV export format) is the standard for posting batch imports. For document transfer and exchange via DATEV Unternehmen online, XML is commonly used. Both formats have their place - the choice depends on the specific use case.
Ensuring GoBD Compliance
The GoBD (Principles for the Proper Management and Storage of Books, Records, and Documents in Electronic Form) set clear requirements for e-commerce accounting. The updated BMF letter from July 2025 introduces new regulations, particularly in connection with the mandatory e-invoicing requirement.
- Traceability: Every business transaction must be fully traceable from receipt to posting - from the shop order through payment to the DATEV export
- Immutability: Once recorded, postings must not be changed without proper documentation. The integration must log changes in an audit-proof manner
- Timely Recording: Business transactions must be recorded promptly - ideally automatically on the day of the transaction
- Machine Readability: Data must be available in machine-readable form for tax audits
- Process Documentation: The entire process from transaction to posting must be documented
A professional DATEV integration ensures that all these requirements are met automatically. Expert consulting is typically recommended to address the individual requirements of the business.
E-Invoicing Mandate and DATEV Integration
Since January 1, 2025, e-invoicing has been mandatory for domestic B2B transactions in Germany. Until December 31, 2026, businesses may still send paper invoices or other electronic formats with the recipient's consent. For businesses with prior-year revenue up to 800,000 euros, this transition period extends to the end of 2027.
For DATEV integration, this means: the interface must be able to process structured e-invoices in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung format. According to the updated GoBD 2025, these e-invoices are considered retention-mandatory documents that must be archived in their original format. Learn more on our page about ZUGFeRD and XRechnung.
Common Challenges in DATEV Integration
Connecting an online shop to DATEV is more complex than it appears at first glance. From our project experience, we know the most frequent pitfalls:
- Multiple Tax Rates and Countries: International sales require consideration of different tax rates, OSS regulations, and country-specific booking logic
- Payment Provider Complexity: Payment providers deliver aggregated payouts that must be broken down to individual orders - including fees and withholdings
- Returns and Partial Cancellations: The correct accounting treatment of returns, partial cancellations, and credit notes requires precise logic
- Marketplace Billing: Platforms like Amazon or eBay deliver complex settlements with commissions, advertising costs, and FBA fees
- Currency Conversion: Sales in foreign currencies require correct exchange rate recording and booking of exchange rate differences
- Data Volume: High transaction volumes require performant batch processing and scalable architecture
Those selling through multiple channels - own shop, Amazon, eBay, and other marketplaces - must ensure that all transactions are correctly captured and consolidated across channels. Duplicate postings or missing transactions are common sources of error.
Benefits of Automated DATEV Integration
A professionally implemented DATEV integration delivers measurable benefits for e-commerce businesses and their tax advisors:
Time Savings
Manual data preparation is almost entirely eliminated. Accounting entries are automatically generated and transmitted to DATEV.
Error Reduction
Automated systems can reduce booking errors by up to 95 percent (DATEV). Validation rules check data before transfer.
Compliance
GoBD-compliant recording, complete documentation, and audit-proof archiving - automatically and reliably.
Scalability
Whether 100 or 10,000 transactions per day - the automated interface scales with business growth.
Collaboration
The tax advisor receives prepared, correctly assigned accounting entries. This saves time and effort for both parties.
Transparency
Real-time overview of financial flows. Open items, payment receipts, and revenue are always up to date.
The Integration Process Step by Step
Setting up a DATEV integration for your online shop follows a structured process:
- Requirements Analysis: Which shop systems, payment providers, and sales channels are in use? What booking logic is needed?
- Chart of Accounts Mapping: Assignment of shop transactions to DATEV general ledger accounts (SKR03 or SKR04) in coordination with the tax advisor
- Interface Design: Technical conception of data flows, formats (EXTF, XML), and transfer methods
- Custom Development: Implementation of the integration with validation, error handling, and logging
- Testing with Real Data: Intensive verification with actual transaction data - the tax advisor validates the accounting results
- Go-Live and Monitoring: Production launch with continuous monitoring and alerting on errors
Involve your tax advisor in the project from the start. They know the requirements for the chart of accounts, booking logic, and DATEV configuration - and can thus point out potential issues early on.
Connecting ERP System and DATEV
In many e-commerce businesses, accounting does not run directly from the shop system but through an upstream ERP system. Solutions like SAP Business One or other ERP systems can serve as a central data hub. For a comprehensive overview of connecting ERP systems with Shopware and SAP, see our article on ERP integration in e-commerce.
In this scenario, orders are first transferred from the shop to the ERP, processed there, and then forwarded to DATEV as accounting entries. The advantage: the ERP system consolidates data from different channels and enriches it with additional information - such as warehousing costs, purchase prices, or internal allocations. A professional middleware solution can centrally orchestrate these data flows and significantly reduce integration complexity.
Monitoring and Maintenance of the Integration
A DATEV integration is not a one-time solution. It must be continuously monitored and maintained to function reliably:
- Automated Monitoring: Supervision of transfers for errors, timeouts, and data inconsistencies
- Alerting: Immediate notification on failed exports or implausible accounting entries
- Regular Reconciliation: Monthly comparison of exported postings with the tax advisor's DATEV data
- Updates and Adjustments: When tax rates, charts of accounts, or DATEV interface specifications change
- Professional Hosting: Reliable infrastructure with high availability for time-critical accounting exports
This is what your B2B shop could look like:
Industrieteile-Portal
Frequently Asked Questions About DATEV Integration
The duration depends on complexity. For a single shop with one payment provider, 4-6 weeks is typically realistic. Multi-channel scenarios with several marketplaces and complex booking logic can take 8-12 weeks.
The standard is the EXTF format (DATEV export format). These are structured CSV files with a defined header and accounting entry structure. For document images and master data, XML formats are additionally used.
Typically yes. The tax advisor defines the chart of accounts (SKR03 or SKR04), account assignments, and booking logic. Early involvement usually prevents rework and ensures that the data meets the firm's requirements.
A professionally implemented integration can meet GoBD requirements for traceability, immutability, and timely recording. Correct implementation is key - including complete logging and audit-proof archiving. Individual compliance should be coordinated with the tax advisor.
Yes, transactions from marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay can also be posted through the DATEV integration. The complexity lies in breaking down commissions, advertising costs, and FBA fees into individual accounting entries.
Since January 1, 2025, businesses must be able to receive e-invoices for B2B transactions. The DATEV integration must therefore be capable of processing structured formats such as ZUGFeRD and XRechnung. According to the updated GoBD 2025, e-invoices are considered retention-mandatory documents that must be archived in their original format. For e-commerce businesses, this means in practice: the integration should automatically validate e-invoices, transmit them to DATEV in the correct format, and archive them in an audit-proof manner. Early adaptation of the integration architecture typically prevents costly rework. Learn more on our page about ZUGFeRD and XRechnung.
This article is based on data and information from: Bundeskartellamt (DATEV market share case report), DATEV (integration documentation, DATEVconnect), Federal Ministry of Finance (GoBD, BMF letter July 2025), Bitkom (Digital Office Index 2024). The figures cited may vary depending on the survey period and source.
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