What is DATEV, and why is it different from normal software?
DATEV eG is a cooperative (Genossenschaft) owned by the German tax professions. That ownership matters more than it sounds. Because the members are tax advisors, auditors and lawyers, DATEV sells its software only to them, not to companies directly. More than 40,000 German tax practices are DATEV members. So when you, as a business owner, want to "use DATEV", what you really do is hire a DATEV-member advisor who then opens a door for you into the system.
For an international company that door is DATEV Unternehmen online, a cloud portal that sits between your business and your advisor's office. You upload receipts and invoices there, manage payments, and read your business figures (the BWA, a standard German management report). The actual accounting software comparison for self-service tools is a separate question; with DATEV, your advisor does the bookkeeping in their own DATEV practice software.
The expat catch: it is all in German
There is no full English interface for DATEV Unternehmen online or the advisor-side software. Most international owners handle this in one of two ways. Either they run the portal through browser translation and treat it as a drop box for documents, or they hire an English-speaking tax advisor and let that person carry the German-language side. If your team needs to click through bookkeeping screens in English every day, DATEV will frustrate you, and an international tool is worth a serious look. If you mainly need receipts to land with your advisor and your tax returns filed correctly, the language barrier matters far less.
How does the DATEV workflow actually run?
The whole point of DATEV for an international company is that a German tax professional owns the bookkeeping. Here is the loop you live in:
- You upload documents. You scan or photograph receipts and invoices and put them into DATEV Unternehmen online, often with the free DATEV Upload mobil app (iOS and Android, 4.7/5 in the App Store across more than 50,000 reviews).
- Your advisor books them. Your Steuerberater sees the documents in their DATEV practice software and records them. You do not touch a ledger.
- You read the results. Once booked, you see your figures in the portal: the BWA, balance lists and open items. No more PDFs by email.
- Your advisor files your taxes. The VAT returns (USt-Voranmeldung) and the annual statement go straight from DATEV to the tax office through ELSTER, the German tax authority's electronic filing system.
If you would rather do your own books and just hand a clean export to your advisor, that is a different setup. Tools with a DATEV export like Lexware Office keep you in control of day-to-day entries while still feeding your advisor.
What does DATEV cost for an international company?
DATEV publishes very few prices openly because it bills through advisors. The figures below are the ones that are known. Treat your advisor's fee as a separate, individually negotiated cost on top.
DATEV Unternehmen online (the portal you use)
The document-exchange platform that connects you to your tax advisor.
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base fee | EUR 10.50/month | Includes 10 users |
| Additional users | EUR 2.00/month | Per user |
| Storage (0.5-10.5 GB) | EUR 2.50/month | Per 0.5 GB |
| Storage (over 20 GB) | EUR 1.00/month | Per 0.5 GB |
Source: Qonto blog, as of March 2026. DATEV does not publish these prices directly, and your actual cost depends on the agreement with your tax advisor.
DATEV Mittelstand Faktura (if you book in-house)
The full version for companies that want to run bookkeeping and invoicing themselves. Far more expensive than Unternehmen online, and rarely the first choice for a small international firm.
| Variant (Cloud) | From (net) |
|---|---|
| 1 user | EUR 256/month |
| 2 concurrent users | EUR 363/month |
| Setup (one-off) | from EUR 1,450 |
Source: datev.de, as of March 2026. All prices plus VAT. A 30-day trial is available.
DATEV vs. Xero and QuickBooks: which fits an international firm?
This is the comparison most expats actually want, and no German competitor spells it out in English. The honest distinction is not about features. It is about who does the bookkeeping. Xero and QuickBooks hand you the keyboard. DATEV hands the keyboard to your tax advisor.
| Merkmal | Criterion | DATEV (via advisor) | Xero | QuickBooks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interface language | German only | English | English | |
| Who does the bookkeeping | Your tax advisor | You (self-service) | You (self-service) | |
| How you sign up | Through a DATEV-member advisor | Directly online | Directly online | |
| German VAT / ELSTER filing | Native, via advisor | Add-on or advisor re-keys | Add-on or advisor re-keys | |
| German e-invoice (XRechnung) | SmartTransfer (EUR 50/month) | Via app/partner | Via app/partner | |
| German payroll | Yes, full (DATEV Lohn) | Not built-in for Germany | Not built-in for Germany | |
| Best for | Advisor-led German compliance | English self-service invoicing | English self-service invoicing |
A common middle path: invoice clients in Xero or QuickBooks for the English UI, then let your advisor handle German tax filing in DATEV. Just confirm the handover works before you commit, because re-keying data twice gets expensive. For a structured price view, see our accounting software cost comparison.
The German e-invoice rule, and where DATEV SmartTransfer fits
Since 1 January 2025, every company in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices. From 2027 and 2028, sending them becomes mandatory too, phased by company size. This applies to your German entity whether you use DATEV, Xero or a shoebox of paper. DATEV's answer is SmartTransfer, a cloud service that converts your invoices into whatever format the recipient needs: XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Peppol or PDF.
E-invoice timeline (Growth Opportunities Act)
| Merkmal | Phase | Date | Obligation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | Phase 1 | From 01.01.2025 | Every company must be able to receive e-invoices |
| Sending (large firms) | Phase 2 | From 01.01.2027 | Sending required for firms with prior-year turnover over EUR 800,000 |
| Sending (all) | Phase 3 | From 01.01.2028 | Sending required for all companies (small businesses under Section 19 UStG exempt) |
Source: Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) FAQ on the e-invoice, datev.de. Recognised formats: XRechnung, ZUGFeRD 2.x (EN 16931).
| SmartTransfer cost | Price (plus VAT) |
|---|---|
| Base fee | EUR 50.00/month |
| Electronic sending | EUR 0.30/document |
| Receiving (PDF, ZUGFeRD Basic) | Free |
Source: DATEV SmartTransfer price list, as of March 2026.
For a small international firm, EUR 50 per month only for sending can feel steep. Self-service tools such as sevDesk and Lexware Office include e-invoicing in their normal plans, which is one reason owners who do not strictly need DATEV often start there.
Strengths and weaknesses for international owners
| Merkmal | Topic | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax compliance | Your advisor owns German filing, fewer mistakes | You depend on an advisor; no DIY route | |
| Language | Pairs well with an English-speaking advisor | No English interface in the software itself | |
| Reliability | Industry standard, 40,000+ practices use it | Interface feels dated (frequent user complaint) | |
| E-invoicing | SmartTransfer covers XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Peppol | SmartTransfer adds EUR 50/month | |
| Entry cost | Unternehmen online from EUR 10.50/month | Total cost rises with the advisor fee on top |
Who is DATEV right for?
Who is DATEV (for international companies) suitable for?
Suitable for
- International companies that already work with a German tax advisor
- Firms with German payroll and complex double-entry bookkeeping
- Businesses with high document volume and ten-year archiving duties
- Companies in regulated sectors (construction, healthcare, gastronomy)
- Owners who want a German tax professional to own the bookkeeping
Less suitable for
- Founders who want an English-language interface from day one
- Solo freelancers who prefer to do their own books
- Teams set on self-service tools like Xero or QuickBooks
- Companies without a tax advisor and no plan to hire one
- Early-stage startups wanting a free or near-free entry tier
Data security, and the risk you still carry
DATEV runs its own data centres in Germany with ISO 27001 certification. Data is encrypted in storage and in transit, and access uses SmartCard, mIDentity stick or SmartLogin (two-factor authentication). For a company moving sensitive financial records online, that German-hosted setup is reassuring.
It does not, however, cover the financial fallout of a breach on your own side. If an attacker reaches your systems or your invoices are manipulated, a cyber insurance policy for SMEs covers the resulting costs, even when your accounting sits with DATEV. Consultants and freelancers who handle client data should also review professional liability insurance to cover errors in their work. These are separate protections from the security DATEV provides.
Verdict: should an international company use DATEV?
Our take:
If your German tax advisor uses DATEV, the simplest and cheapest setup is DATEV Unternehmen online for document exchange. At EUR 10.50 per month it is a small line item, and it ends the email tennis with your advisor. The language barrier is real, but it is manageable when an English-speaking advisor carries the German side for you.
- You already have a DATEV advisor? Use Unternehmen online. It is the path of least resistance.
- You want an English interface and self-service? Start with Lexware Office or sevDesk, both of which export to DATEV, or use Xero/QuickBooks for invoicing and let your advisor file the taxes.
- You are a freelancer? See our accounting software guide for freelancers before committing to anything advisor-led.
No. DATEV eG is a cooperative owned by the tax professions, and it sells its software only through members: Steuerberater (tax advisors), auditors and lawyers. As a company you do not license DATEV yourself. You hire a DATEV-member tax advisor, and they give you access to DATEV Unternehmen online for sharing documents. If you want a product you sign up for directly, look at Lexware Office, Xero or QuickBooks instead.
The core DATEV Unternehmen online portal and the tax advisor software are German-language. There is no full English interface. Most expats run the portal with browser translation and rely on an English-speaking tax advisor for the actual bookkeeping. If an English UI is non-negotiable for your team, an international tool such as Xero is easier day to day, but it does not replace the German tax filing that a Steuerberater handles through DATEV.
The base fee is EUR 10.50 per month and includes 10 users. Extra users cost EUR 2.00 per month each, and storage starts at EUR 2.50 per 0.5 GB. Your tax advisor bills these costs on top of their own fee, so the figure on your invoice is usually a single line for "DATEV". Ask your advisor for the breakdown before you sign.
Xero and QuickBooks are self-service tools with English interfaces, so you do the bookkeeping yourself. DATEV is the opposite model: your tax advisor does the bookkeeping, and you only supply documents through the portal. For German VAT returns (USt-Voranmeldung), payroll and the annual financial statement, DATEV is the standard nearly every German tax advisor uses. Xero and QuickBooks are convenient for invoicing but rely on add-ons or your advisor re-keying data for German tax filing.
DATEV SmartTransfer has a base fee of EUR 50 per month plus EUR 0.30 per sent document. Receiving PDF and ZUGFeRD Basic invoices is free. SmartTransfer supports XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, Peppol and more than 400 other formats. Since 1 January 2025 every company in Germany must be able to receive e-invoices, so even small firms need a compliant inbox of some kind.
In practice, yes. If your Steuerberater works with DATEV, the simplest setup is DATEV Unternehmen online for document exchange. It removes email back-and-forth and gives both sides the same live data. You can technically use a different tool and export to DATEV, but that adds a conversion step. Confirm with your advisor which workflow they prefer before you commit to any software.
Yes. DATEV runs an online test centre with 119 days of free browser access and sample data, so you can see the interface without installing anything. DATEV Mittelstand Faktura has a separate 30-day trial. Neither trial lets you file real German taxes on your own, since that step still runs through a tax advisor.