Accounting & export

PDF archive for your accountant and Z3 export for the tax audit

On the first of the month, last month’s document package is with your accountant without you thinking about it. And when the auditor arrives, you export the Z3 data carrier they load into IDEA.

  • ZIP with every PDF, sorted by year and month, with a manifest
  • Recipients confirm their address once – then delivery runs monthly, quarterly or yearly
  • Z3 export: index.xml plus CSV tables, machine-readable for the audit
The four export formats: PDF archive ZIP and Z3/GDPdU for a tax audit, plus the DATEV EXTF booking batch and configurable CSV in the closed beta, delivered to the accountant on a schedule.

The PDF archive

The default export most accounting firms want: the documents themselves, ordered and password-protected.

  • Invoices, credit notes and cancellations of a period, folders per year/month, export-manifest.txt
  • Free choice of ZIP password – required where customer data is GDPR-relevant
  • Several recipients with double opt-in; download link valid for 14 days
  • If a file is missing, the export ships with missing-files.txt and the gap is retried – no silent failure

The Z3 export (GDPdU)

Under § 147 Abs. 6 AO the auditor may demand a data carrier. The Z3 export delivers exactly the format audit software expects.

  • index.xml describes tables, fields and formats; the data sits beside it as CSV
  • Documents, line items, tax rates, tax treatment per document – including OSS, § 19 and § 25a
  • One period, one click – or as a monthly, quarterly or yearly schedule

Good to know

  • The PDF archive is the document export, not the bookkeeping. Your firm gets bookings through the DATEV batch or the CSV – both are in the closed beta.
  • The retention duty lies with you as the issuer – eight years for invoices since 2025, not ten (§ 147 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 in conjunction with Abs. 3 AO). The yearly export is the simplest way to meet it – regardless of how long you use the app.

Software, not tax advice: We are not tax advisers: Easy Invoices applies the rules you configure to your shop’s data – checking your documents for tax correctness stays with you and your accounting firm. Details in § 2a of the terms

Retention: what we do, what stays with you: Easy Invoices keeps your documents immutable for 10 years while your subscription runs – longer than the 8 years § 147 AO has required for invoices since 2025. The duty itself is yours as the issuer: after cancellation you have 3 months to export, and the yearly scheduled export does that for you. Details on data retention

Frequently asked questions

Does my accountant get an email with an attachment?

They get a download link to the ZIP. Large archives fit in no attachment, and the link expires after 14 days – so no unprotected document package sits in a mailbox permanently.

What distinguishes Z3 from the DATEV export?

Z3 is the data carrier for a GoBD tax audit – data to analyse. The DATEV batch is a booking import for the firm. Two purposes, two formats; both are available as schedules. The DATEV export currently runs in a closed beta; Z3 and the PDF archive are open to every shop.

Related capabilities

DATEV export (EXTF) Closed beta Import-ready booking batch with the receivable and its settlement – monthly, automatically. CSV export Closed beta Pick columns, set the order, upload a template – for any accounting tool. GoBD & archiving Immutable documents, gap-free numbers, sealed audit log – hosted in Germany.

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