# Germany: request and response examples

Send a German B2B invoice, a public-sector (B2G) invoice with a Leitweg-ID and a credit note in GETS, and read each response. Start with a sandbox API key and a German company's onboarded source.

> **Before you start**
>
> You need a [sandbox API key](https://docs.complyance.io/api-reference/authentication/) and a German company with a source that is ready to send invoices. Replace the example source and all sample participant, tax and bank identifiers with the real values for your company and buyer. The identifiers below are illustrative; they do not register anyone on Peppol.

## Save the request

Save this body as `germany-invoice.json`. It is a German B2B, standard-rate invoice. `9930` is the Peppol electronic address scheme for a German VAT identifier; use the scheme and participant IDs actually assigned to both parties. `extensions.peppol_buyerAccountingReference` becomes the invoice’s buyer reference (BT-10 Buyer reference), a value the buyer gives you, such as its order or cost-centre reference. Do not add a Leitweg-ID to an ordinary B2B invoice.

```json title="germany-invoice.json"
{
  "country": "DE",
  "environment": "sandbox",
  "purpose": "invoicing",
  "source": "acme-erp:1.0.0",
  "documentType": { "base": "tax_invoice", "modifiers": [] },
  "payload": {
    "header": {
      "documentType": { "base": "tax_invoice" },
      "documentNumber": "DE-2026-00184",
      "issueDate": "2026-09-18",
      "currency": "EUR",
      "dueDate": "2026-10-18"
    },
    "parties": {
      "seller": {
        "name": "Nordlicht Systeme GmbH",
        "address": {
          "addressLine1": "12 Beispielstraße",
          "city": "Berlin",
          "postalCode": "10115",
          "country": "DE"
        },
        "contact": {
          "name": "Accounts Receivable",
          "email": "billing@example.com",
          "phone": "+49 30 1234567"
        },
        "taxIds": [{ "type": "VAT", "value": "DE123456789" }],
        "registrationNumbers": [{ "type": "CRN", "value": "HRB 123456" }],
        "peppolId": "DE123456789"
      },
      "buyer": {
        "name": "Hansa Handel AG",
        "address": {
          "addressLine1": "8 Musterweg",
          "city": "Hamburg",
          "postalCode": "20095",
          "country": "DE"
        },
        "registrationNumbers": [{ "type": "CRN", "value": "HRB 654321" }],
        "peppolId": "DE987654321"
      },
      "delivery": { "deliveries": [{ "actualDeliveryDate": "2026-09-18" }] }
    },
    "lineItems": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "name": "Consulting services",
        "quantity": 10,
        "unitCode": "HUR",
        "price": { "amount": 100 },
        "lineTaxableValue": 1000,
        "taxCategory": "S",
        "taxRate": 19,
        "taxAmount": 190,
        "lineTotal": 1000
      }
    ],
    "payment": {
      "paymentMeans": [
        {
          "paymentMeansCode": "58",
          "creditTransferInfo": {
            "payeeFinancialAccountId": "DE89370400440532013000"
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    "taxTotals": [
      {
        "taxAmount": 190,
        "taxSubtotals": [
          {
            "taxableAmount": 1000,
            "taxAmount": 190,
            "taxCategory": "S",
            "percent": 19
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "totals": {
      "totalLineTaxableAmount": 1000,
      "totalAmountExcludingTax": 1000,
      "totalTaxAmount": 190,
      "totalAmountIncludingTax": 1190,
      "amountDue": 1190
    },
    "extensions": {
      "peppol_seller_peppolIdScheme": "9930",
      "peppol_buyer_peppolIdScheme": "9930",
      "peppol_buyerAccountingReference": "AP-TEAM"
    }
  }
}
```

Replace `source` with the German company’s own `name:version`, and use an unused `documentNumber`. Keep `environment: "sandbox"` with a sandbox key. A few values need care:

- **Document type.** The envelope’s `documentType` decides which rules apply. Complyance copies it into `payload.header.documentType`, replacing any value there.
- **Line amounts.** `lineTotal` is the line’s net amount, before VAT: quantity times price, plus line charges, minus line allowances. It becomes the invoice line net amount (BT-131) checked by [PEPPOL-EN16931-R120](https://docs.peppol.eu/poacc/billing/3.0/rules/ubl-peppol/PEPPOL-EN16931-R120/).
- **VAT breakdown.** `taxTotals` holds one `taxSubtotals` line for each VAT category and rate. If you leave it out, Complyance builds it from the lines and totals.
- **Delivery date.** `parties.delivery.deliveries[].actualDeliveryDate` is the date of supply. Without it, or an invoicing period, Unify returns a warning.

Read the [German field reference](https://docs.complyance.io/countries/de/fields/) for other document types and conditional fields.

## Send the request

Sandbox and production use the same host, `https://prod.gets.complyance.io`. The `"environment": "sandbox"` field in the request body is what sends this invoice to sandbox.

```bash title="Submit a German invoice in sandbox"
curl --request POST 'https://prod.gets.complyance.io/api/v3/unify' \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ${COMPLYANCE_API_KEY}" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'new-api: true' \
  --data @germany-invoice.json
```

## Read the response

HTTP `200` means the invoice passed validation and was stored. This illustrative response includes a short Base64-encoded XML fragment to show the shape; the actual `Base64XML` contains the generated invoice, not this fragment.

```json title="Validated invoice — HTTP 200"
{
  "documentId": "01K5EXAMPLE00000000000142",
  "documentNumber": "DE-2026-00184",
  "message": "Your invoice was validated and is ready for submission.",
  "Base64XML": "PEludm9pY2U+PElEPkRFLTIwMjYtMDAxODQ8L0lEPjwvSW52b2ljZT4="
}
```

If the request returns HTTP `422`, inspect every entry in `errors`. This sample is the response to the same request without `totals.amountDue`.

```json title="Missing amount due — HTTP 422"
{
  "documentId": "01K5EXAMPLE00000000000143",
  "documentNumber": "DE-2026-00184",
  "message": "Your invoice could not be validated. Review the errors and try again.",
  "validationStage": "gets",
  "errors": [
    {
      "code": "IBR-015",
      "getsPath": "totals.amountDue",
      "payloadPath": "totals.amountDue",
      "message": "An Invoice MUST have the Amount due for payment (ibt-115).",
      "severity": "error",
      "ruleSet": "de:tax_invoice"
    }
  ]
}
```

Correct the field named by `getsPath`, then send the request again. For `404`, confirm your source name and version; for `403`, check that the key’s environment matches `environment`. See [Unify errors](https://docs.complyance.io/api-reference/unify/errors/) for other statuses.

## Follow delivery

Follow the document by `documentId`, as described in [Submit and retrieve](https://docs.complyance.io/api-reference/unify/submit-and-retrieve/#follow-the-document). For Germany, the last step Complyance takes is delivering the invoice to the buyer’s Peppol access point. The Invoice Portal then shows the document as **Submitted**, with delivery **Delivered**. The API does not report `final_valid` for a German invoice: `isTerminal` stays `false` once it is delivered. Stop checking when `state` is `delivery_success` or `delivery_failed`. Confirm with the buyer that the invoice arrived.

## Invoice to a public authority (B2G)

An invoice to a German public authority carries the authority’s Leitweg-ID, its routing ID, as the buyer reference (BT-10). Ask the authority for its Leitweg-ID and for the format and channel it accepts. Then:

- Add the `b2g` modifier to `documentType.modifiers`.
- Put the Leitweg-ID in `extensions.de_leitwegId`, and leave `extensions.peppol_buyerAccountingReference` out. When both are present, the buyer reference carries `peppol_buyerAccountingReference`, not the Leitweg-ID.
- Use the participant ID and scheme the authority gives you. Scheme `0204` is the Peppol scheme for a Leitweg-ID used as the participant ID; see the [Peppol code lists](https://docs.peppol.eu/edelivery/codelists/).

```json title="germany-b2g-invoice.json"
{
  "country": "DE",
  "environment": "sandbox",
  "purpose": "invoicing",
  "source": "acme-erp:1.0.0",
  "documentType": { "base": "tax_invoice", "modifiers": ["b2g"] },
  "payload": {
    "header": {
      "documentType": { "base": "tax_invoice", "modifiers": ["b2g"] },
      "documentNumber": "DE-2026-00191",
      "issueDate": "2026-09-18",
      "currency": "EUR",
      "dueDate": "2026-10-18"
    },
    "parties": {
      "seller": {
        "name": "Nordlicht Systeme GmbH",
        "address": {
          "addressLine1": "12 Beispielstraße",
          "city": "Berlin",
          "postalCode": "10115",
          "country": "DE"
        },
        "contact": {
          "name": "Accounts Receivable",
          "email": "billing@example.com",
          "phone": "+49 30 1234567"
        },
        "taxIds": [{ "type": "VAT", "value": "DE123456789" }],
        "registrationNumbers": [{ "type": "CRN", "value": "HRB 123456" }],
        "peppolId": "DE123456789"
      },
      "buyer": {
        "name": "Bundesamt für Beispielwesen",
        "address": {
          "addressLine1": "1 Amtsplatz",
          "city": "Bonn",
          "postalCode": "53113",
          "country": "DE"
        },
        "peppolId": "991-01234-38"
      },
      "delivery": { "deliveries": [{ "actualDeliveryDate": "2026-09-18" }] }
    },
    "lineItems": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "name": "Consulting services",
        "quantity": 10,
        "unitCode": "HUR",
        "price": { "amount": 100 },
        "lineTaxableValue": 1000,
        "taxCategory": "S",
        "taxRate": 19,
        "taxAmount": 190,
        "lineTotal": 1000
      }
    ],
    "payment": {
      "paymentMeans": [
        {
          "paymentMeansCode": "58",
          "creditTransferInfo": {
            "payeeFinancialAccountId": "DE89370400440532013000"
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    "taxTotals": [
      {
        "taxAmount": 190,
        "taxSubtotals": [
          {
            "taxableAmount": 1000,
            "taxAmount": 190,
            "taxCategory": "S",
            "percent": 19
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "totals": {
      "totalLineTaxableAmount": 1000,
      "totalAmountExcludingTax": 1000,
      "totalTaxAmount": 190,
      "totalAmountIncludingTax": 1190,
      "amountDue": 1190
    },
    "extensions": {
      "peppol_seller_peppolIdScheme": "9930",
      "peppol_buyer_peppolIdScheme": "0204",
      "de_leitwegId": "991-01234-38"
    }
  }
}
```

Without a buyer reference, Unify returns `422` with `BR-DE-15` (“Buyer reference (BT-10) must be provided.”) on `extensions.de_leitwegId`.

## Credit note

A credit note uses `documentType.base` `credit_note` and positive amounts for the value credited. It keeps the payment details. This one credits two of the ten consulting hours on the invoice above.

```json title="germany-credit-note.json"
{
  "country": "DE",
  "environment": "sandbox",
  "purpose": "invoicing",
  "source": "acme-erp:1.0.0",
  "documentType": { "base": "credit_note", "modifiers": [] },
  "payload": {
    "header": {
      "documentType": { "base": "credit_note" },
      "documentNumber": "DE-CN-2026-00007",
      "issueDate": "2026-09-25",
      "currency": "EUR"
    },
    "parties": {
      "seller": {
        "name": "Nordlicht Systeme GmbH",
        "address": {
          "addressLine1": "12 Beispielstraße",
          "city": "Berlin",
          "postalCode": "10115",
          "country": "DE"
        },
        "contact": {
          "name": "Accounts Receivable",
          "email": "billing@example.com",
          "phone": "+49 30 1234567"
        },
        "taxIds": [{ "type": "VAT", "value": "DE123456789" }],
        "registrationNumbers": [{ "type": "CRN", "value": "HRB 123456" }],
        "peppolId": "DE123456789"
      },
      "buyer": {
        "name": "Hansa Handel AG",
        "address": {
          "addressLine1": "8 Musterweg",
          "city": "Hamburg",
          "postalCode": "20095",
          "country": "DE"
        },
        "registrationNumbers": [{ "type": "CRN", "value": "HRB 654321" }],
        "peppolId": "DE987654321"
      },
      "delivery": { "deliveries": [{ "actualDeliveryDate": "2026-09-18" }] }
    },
    "lineItems": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "name": "Consulting services",
        "quantity": 2,
        "unitCode": "HUR",
        "price": { "amount": 100 },
        "lineTaxableValue": 200,
        "taxCategory": "S",
        "taxRate": 19,
        "taxAmount": 38,
        "lineTotal": 200
      }
    ],
    "payment": {
      "paymentMeans": [
        {
          "paymentMeansCode": "58",
          "creditTransferInfo": {
            "payeeFinancialAccountId": "DE89370400440532013000"
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    "taxTotals": [
      {
        "taxAmount": 38,
        "taxSubtotals": [
          {
            "taxableAmount": 200,
            "taxAmount": 38,
            "taxCategory": "S",
            "percent": 19
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "totals": {
      "totalLineTaxableAmount": 200,
      "totalAmountExcludingTax": 200,
      "totalTaxAmount": 38,
      "totalAmountIncludingTax": 238,
      "amountDue": 238
    },
    "extensions": {
      "peppol_seller_peppolIdScheme": "9930",
      "peppol_buyer_peppolIdScheme": "9930",
      "peppol_buyerAccountingReference": "AP-TEAM"
    }
  }
}
```

Both requests pass Unify’s validation as written. Send them the same way as the invoice.

Last updated 16 October 2026

Source: https://docs.complyance.io/countries/de/examples/