DATEV integration: passing data to DATEV
DATEV accepts data in three ways: as a file in the DATEV format, through data services such as the posting data service (Buchungsdatenservice; postings to DATEV Rechnungswesen, receipts to Unternehmen online), and through online APIs with OAuth 2.0 sign-in. Which path fits depends on whether your tax advisor should receive finished postings, posting proposals or just receipt images.
What DATEV is and who uses it
DATEV is a software provider for tax advice and accounting. For many companies, DATEV is the system their tax advisor works in: bookkeeping, annual financial statements and tax returns all run there. With DATEV Unternehmen online, the company and the tax advisor work on receipts and postings together.
Which interfaces DATEV offers
| Path | What is transferred | Technology |
|---|---|---|
| DATEV format | Posting batches (Buchungsstapel), customer and supplier accounts as a file for DATEV Rechnungswesen | CSV file with the prefix EXTF_, semicolon as separator, header line with metadata, followed by column names and data |
| Posting data service (Buchungsdatenservice) | Structured posting data with the matching receipts as finished postings | Online transfer through the DATEV data center for retrieval in DATEV Rechnungswesen, receipt images go to Unternehmen online; based on the DATEV format |
| Invoice data service (Rechnungsdatenservice) 1.0 | Invoice data and receipts as posting proposals | Based on the XML interface online |
| Receipt image service (Belegbilderservice) | Receipt images for further processing in DATEV Unternehmen online | Online transfer |
| Online APIs | Depending on the API, for example receipts or posting data | Sign-in through "Login mit DATEV" (OpenID Connect, authorization code flow with PKCE); according to DATEV, every new integration goes through an approval process |
DATEV itself names two limits. DATEV only checks whether the submitted file can be read without errors, not whether the data is correct in substance. And for the posting data service, only the file header is checked, according to the developer portal. A successful upload therefore does not prove that a file is correct. DATEV recommends a test import into a test data set. We did not find webhooks for changes in DATEV in the sources.
Typical connections and data objects
- Outgoing invoice becomes a posting record daily
- Credit note becomes a reversal posting daily
- Payment and fee are posted or matched daily
- Customer account (debtor) is created with the customer number as needed
- Receipt image is attached to the posting record daily
Typical sources are shops and inventory management systems, such as Shopware with DATEV, JTL-Wawi with DATEV or Business Central with DATEV. We agree the interval with your tax advisor.
Where standard exports reach their limits
Account mapping
An export does not know your chart of accounts. Revenue accounts, tax keys and cost centers have to be right in each case.
Payments
Payment providers pay out in batches and deduct fees. Without matching, open items stay open.
Manual work
A manual export once a month is error-prone and arrives late. Your tax advisor works with old figures.
Receipts
Some exports deliver postings only. The receipt image is missing and has to be uploaded separately.
How we connect DATEV
Together with you and your tax advisor, we work out which path fits: DATEV format, data service or online API. Then we define the account mapping and check every file against the format specifications before handover. Before going live, we test the import with real sample cases. Every handover is logged. More under having a DATEV integration developed and in the guide DATEV API access.
Frequently asked questions
Does DATEV have an open API?
DATEV offers online APIs with sign-in through "Login mit DATEV". According to DATEV, every new integration goes through an approval process with a paid onboarding package. For many cases, the DATEV format as a file is enough.
What is the difference between the posting data service and the invoice data service?
The posting data service delivers finished postings with receipts. The invoice data service 1.0 delivers invoice data and receipts from which posting proposals are created.
What is an EXTF file?
A CSV file in the DATEV format whose name begins with EXTF_. More in the glossary under DATEV EXTF and posting batch.
Does my tax advisor have to be involved?
Yes, at least for agreeing on accounts and the handover path. The data services require the matching service to be ordered for your client. We coordinate this together with your tax advisor.
Sources
- DATEV Developer Portal: DATEV format, retrieved on 21 Oct 2026
- DATEV Developer Portal: interface specifications for the DATEV format, retrieved on 21 Oct 2026
- DATEV Developer Portal: Login mit DATEV, retrieved on 21 Oct 2026
- DATEV Developer Portal: Cloud Integration workflow, retrieved on 21 Oct 2026
- DATEV marketplace: description of the posting data service and the DATEV format, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
- DATEV marketplace: description of the invoice data service 1.0 and the receipt image service, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
Connections with DATEV
Business Central → DATEV
Postings, customers, vendors and documents from Business Central for your tax advisor in DATEV: what partner apps do, where mapping breaks, how we solve it.
JTL-Wawi → DATEV
JTL-Wawi and DATEV after the end of Rechnungsdatenservice 2.0: what the Buchungsdatenservice covers, where customer accounts fail and when custom code helps.
Shopify → DATEV
Orders, Shopify Payments payouts, fees and POS cash to DATEV. Which apps exist, where they stop and how we build the integration.
Shopware → DATEV
Invoices, credit notes and payments from Shopware 6 to DATEV automatically. What plugins can do, where they stop and what a custom integration looks like.
Related
DATEV integration
Posting batches and document images from your systems to DATEV and your tax advisor, automatically.
DATEV API and access
The routes into DATEV at a glance: file import, receipts, online APIs. What companies and tax advisors must approve.
DATEV format (EXTF)
The DATEV format is a CSV file with a fixed header record that other programs use to hand postings and master data to DATEV. Structure, example, errors.
DATEV posting batch
A DATEV posting batch (Buchungsstapel) bundles the postings of a period for import into DATEV. Structure, typical fields, example and common import errors.
