What the DATEV E-Rechnungspostfach does for free
According to DATEV (e-rechnungsplattform.datev.de, as of October 2026), receiving invoices in the E-Rechnungspostfach stays free regardless of the channel. This includes:
DATEV handover · For tax advisors
- Receipt by email, via the Peppol network and via TRAFFIQX.
- Common formats such as XRechnung and ZUGFeRD 2.x; PDF invoices arrive too.
- A virus scan and validation of incoming e-invoices against the legal requirements.
- A readable view of the invoice data and attachments.
- Automatic hand-over to DATEV Unternehmen online once that connection is set up.
When the free inbox is enough
If your tax office works with DATEV, you already use DATEV Unternehmen online and invoices go to the firm without an internal approval step, the inbox is the obvious choice. You usually don't need another tool for the same job.
What to check before you decide
Clarify these points before you commit:
- Retention: according to DATEV, invoices stay available in the inbox itself for 90 days. Archiving under GoBD principles runs through DATEV Unternehmen online. Whether and on what terms DUO is licensed for you is a question for your tax office.
- Approval: DATEV does not describe an internal checking and approval flow before booking for the inbox. If several people are to check invoices on the merits, plan this step deliberately.
- Tax office without DATEV: if your firm uses other software, the advantage of the direct hand-over to DATEV Unternehmen online falls away.
- Rejection from 2027: according to DATEV, invalid e-invoices that do not qualify for input VAT deduction will be rejected from 2027 and the sender informed. Clarify how you yourself learn about it and follow up with the supplier.
Where e-Rechnung Inbox comes in
e-Rechnung Inbox does not replace DATEV; it sits in front of it: its own inbox address, checks against the standard with plain-language explanations, approval within the team, warnings about changed bank details or possible duplicate invoices, archiving of the original and export as a DATEV Buchungsstapel or tax adviser package.
This pays off mainly when several people are involved, your tax office does not work with DATEV, or you want to check and approve invoices before the hand-over. Either way, your tax office keeps working with its usual software.
Quick decision
As a guide:
- Tax office on DATEV, DUO in place, no internal approval → the DATEV E-Rechnungspostfach is enough.
- Several reviewers, approval before booking wanted → an extra checking and approval step.
- Tax office without DATEV or no DUO → your own invoice intake with archive and export.
- Unsure? Run one month of real invoices through both routes.