E-invoicing standards
Which version is in force, what changed most recently, and which fields that touches. Maintained against the publications of FeRD, KoSIT and CEN.
ZUGFeRD 2.5.2
activeZUGFeRD 2.5.2 / Factur-X 1.09.2 — corrigendum to 2.5, valid from 01.09.2026.
- released:
- 04/08/2026
- in force from:
- 01/09/2026
- last checked:
- 05/09/2026
Details — ZUGFeRD 2.5.2
Changes
Corrigendum to 2.5
Business rulesImpact: lowbackwards compatibleBR-CO-27 → CII-SR-470 across BASIC WL/BASIC/EN 16931; EXTENDED cardinality fixes; BR-FXEXT variants; BR-FXEXT-08 rounding fix.
Affected BT fields: BT-9, BT-73
Action required: Watch: BR-CO-27 being renamed touches the EN 16931 profile we DO emit. Re-run the KoSIT battery when the validator config that carries CII-SR-470 is published.
Notes
Published 04.08.2026; VALID SINCE 01.09.2026 (FeRD: "ZUGFeRD 2.5.2 ist ab dem 1. September 2026 gültig"). Corrigendum to 2.5, anticipating EN 16931-1:2026: BR-CO-27 renamed CII-SR-470 in BASIC WL / BASIC / EN 16931, line-level tax category cardinality adjusted, several tax rules replaced by BR-FXEXT variants to permit multiple tax breakdowns, and BR-FXEXT-08 corrected for a rounding problem in line amount totals. Paired with Factur-X 1.09.2, fully backward compatible. Next release expected autumn 2026 with gross invoices. Re-verified 05.09.2026 (P309).
XRechnung 3.0.2
activeXRechnung 3.0.2 — pure XML format for German B2G invoicing. Based on EN 16931, CIUS XRechnung.
- released:
- 01/02/2025
- in force from:
- 01/02/2025
- last checked:
- 05/09/2026
Details — XRechnung 3.0.2
Changes
No individual changes are recorded here for this version.
Notes
Mandatory for invoices to German federal authorities (§ 4 Abs. 1 ERechV). Machine-readable only; requires visualization software for humans. Still the current version as of 05.09.2026 (KoSIT / XStandards Einkauf) — a version 4.0 implementing the revised EN 16931-1:2026 is announced but not published. Re-verified 05.09.2026 (P309).
EN16931 2017+updates
activeEuropean e-invoicing standard underpinning ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, XRechnung, and Peppol BIS Billing.
- released:
- 28/06/2017
- in force from:
- 28/06/2017
- last checked:
- 05/09/2026
Details — EN16931 2017+updates
Changes
No individual changes are recorded here for this version.
Notes
Updated every six months with code list refreshes. Mandatory for ViDA digital reporting from July 2030.
ZUGFeRD 2.5
supersededZUGFeRD 2.5 / Factur-X 1.09 — EN 16931 compliant hybrid format on UN/CEFACT CII D22B, fully backward compatible with D16B. Changes are additive and land in the EXTENDED profile plus a code-list refresh.
- released:
- 10/06/2026
- in force from:
- 01/07/2026
- last checked:
- 05/09/2026
Details — ZUGFeRD 2.5
Changes
New elements in the EXTENDED profile
SchemaImpact: lowbackwards compatibleTax exemption reason text and codes for allowances/charges, BT-215/BT-216 payment details, and BG-34 payments on behalf of third parties (BT-179/BT-180).
Affected BT fields: BT-179, BT-180, BT-215, BT-216
Action required: None for this app: we emit the EN 16931 (COMFORT) profile, not EXTENDED.
Negative unit prices permitted in EXTENDED
Business rulesImpact: lowbackwards compatibleBusiness rules adjusted so EXTENDED may carry negative unit prices.
Affected BT fields: BT-146
Action required: None — EXTENDED profile only.
List IDs and code list 1153 at line level
Code ListsImpact: lowbackwards compatibleList IDs and code list 1153 (excluding VAT) added at invoice line level (BT-177, BT-193).
Affected BT fields: BT-177, BT-193
Action required: Optional line-level identifiers; not emitted by our generator.
EN 16931 code lists and validation artefacts refreshed
Code ListsImpact: mediumbackwards compatibleRegular semi-annual realignment to the reference code lists of EN 16931 (country, currency, unit, VAT category codes).
Affected BT fields: BT-151, BT-152, BT-155
Action required: Validator-side only. Our KoSIT service already runs the newest published artefacts (validator 1.6.2, XRechnung config 2026-01-31) and our output validates green against scenario EN16931 (CII).
Notes
Published 10.06.2026 jointly by FeRD and FNFE-MPE; used from 01.07.2026. Superseded as the CURRENT edition by the corrigendum 2.5.2 on 01.09.2026 — remains EN 16931 conformant and legally valid. Changes vs 2.4: new EXTENDED elements (tax exemption reason text + codes for allowances/charges, BT-215/BT-216 payment details, BG-34 payments on behalf of third parties BT-179/BT-180), negative unit prices permitted in EXTENDED, list IDs + code list 1153 at line level (BT-177/BT-193), and code lists + validation artefacts realigned to EN 16931. GROSS INVOICES ARE NOT IN 2.5 — FeRD schedules them for the next release (autumn 2026) together with the revised EN 16931. We emit the EN 16931 (COMFORT) profile, so no 2.5 change affects our output. Re-verified 05.09.2026 (P309).
ZUGFeRD 2.4
supersededZUGFeRD 2.4 / Factur-X 1.08 — EN 16931 compliant hybrid format based on UN/CEFACT CII D22B. Added sub-line management for kits, bundles, composite items.
- released:
- 04/12/2025
- in force from:
- 15/01/2026
- last checked:
- 05/09/2026
Details — ZUGFeRD 2.4
Changes
No individual changes are recorded here for this version.
Notes
Superseded as the current edition by 2.5 on 01.07.2026 — remains EN 16931 conformant and legally valid. Jointly released with France (Factur-X 1.08). Fully backward compatible with D16B. Supports 5 profiles: MINIMUM, BASIC WL, BASIC, EN 16931, EXTENDED. Re-verified 05.09.2026 (P309).
ZUGFeRD 2.3
supersededZUGFeRD 2.3 / Factur-X 1.0.07 — introduced rounding tolerances and optimized documentation.
- released:
- 18/09/2024
- in force from:
- 15/11/2024
- last checked:
- 05/09/2026
Details — ZUGFeRD 2.3
Changes
No individual changes are recorded here for this version.
Notes
Superseded by 2.4 on 2026-01-15.
"Superseded" here means: no longer the current edition. A superseded version stays EN 16931 conformant and invoices issued under it stay valid.