“E-invoicing: email inbox is enough” - a few days ago, seemingly reassuring news caused a stir in the German corporate world: An email inbox would be enough to comply with the e-invoicing obligation for B2B transactions, which will be gradually introduced from January 1, 2025.

That sounds practical and simple at first - but watch out: This assessment is clearly too short-sighted and could lull companies into a false sense of security!

Because anyone who relies solely on a simple e-mail inbox will probably be left behind in just a few years. Why? Because this supposedly simple solution is far from adequate for the complex requirements of the Europe-wide digitalization campaign, which is gaining momentum. In addition, sending and receiving emails is susceptible to all kinds of problems and risks such as fraud, phishing and ransomware.

Fortunately, there are already secure, reliable and high-performance alternatives for receiving and sending electronic invoices, some of which can be implemented with minimal effort - sometimes even free of charge.

Half the truth: only a viable option in the short term

Admittedly, from a purely formal point of view, an email inbox is actually enough to meet the legal requirements - at least for the time being. Companies can receive e-invoices and thus complete the first step of the obligation. However, anyone who believes that the “e-invoice problem” is already off the table has not yet fully grasped the scope of this change.

After all, the introduction of e-invoicing is not simply intended to do away with paperwork, but to set the course for a comprehensive digital reporting system for VAT control.

After all, the introduction of e-invoicing is not simply intended to do away with paperwork, but to set the course for a comprehensive digital VAT reporting system.

2028/2030: The digital age of reporting systems - and email as a dinosaur?

Almost all experts from administration, business, digitalization, science and politics agree: by 2030 at the latest, Germany will not only be dealing with the electronic exchange of invoices. Everywhere in Europe, the tax authorities are planning to ensure that tax-relevant data on every invoice - whether VAT or input tax - is transmitted digitally and in real time to the tax authorities in the near future. This also applies to the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMI) together with the federal states, as recently emerged from a corresponding statement by the German Bundestag.

Companies will then no longer only have to receive and send invoices electronically, but will also have to report the relevant tax data contained therein to the authorities in parallel. Such a system will revolutionize tax collection. And e-mail? In this scenario at the latest, it will not only seem outdated, but downright absurd.

The e-mail inbox: A Trojan horse for the future of the company

The reality is: an email inbox may still be enough to get your foot in the door of the new e-invoicing world. But companies that rely on this apparent simplicity run the risk of being overwhelmed by the coming wave of digital requirements. It's all about automation, security, traceability and efficiency - and manual processing by email simply cannot deliver all of this.

Even more serious: the tax authorities are obviously pursuing clear objectives. The introduction of e-invoicing is not intended to be an isolated step, but rather to create the basis for digital, seamless VAT reporting.

Companies that only think in the short term here fail to see the bigger strategic picture. The grand plan of politicians and tax authorities is a system in which invoice and tax data is transmitted automatically and securely - a system that can keep pace with the challenges of the modern business world.

A simple email inbox? That becomes a Trojan horse that jeopardizes the company's future.

The absurd idea: tax offices as “CC” for every e-bill?

Just imagine the following: More than five billion B2B invoices are exchanged in Germany every year. For a digital reporting system to work, both the invoice issuer and the recipient would have to send the relevant tax-relevant data to the tax authorities.

Ten billion emails crammed with sensitive tax data - in a system that is known to be susceptible to phishing, spam and fraud? That's not just an absurd idea, it would be an invitation to chaos and data misuse.

Companies, wake up!

To put it bluntly: anyone who believes that an email inbox is enough to successfully master the transition to e-billing is making a serious strategic mistake. It is time to abandon this misconception and prepare for the real requirements. The future lies in automated, integrated e-invoicing solutions that not only simplify the exchange of invoices, but also securely transmit the legally required tax data to the tax authorities.

Companies that only think in the short term now could soon find themselves at a digital dead end. The email solution may still be sufficient today - but the future demands more.

7 reasons why an e-mail inbox is not enough for e-invoicing after all...

Still not enough arguments? We have compiled the most important reasons why a simple e-mail inbox for receiving e-invoices is initially sufficient for companies in Germany to comply with the obligation to receive electronic invoices from January 1, 2025. However, it is still not the best solution:

1. susceptibility to spam and fraud

E-mails are a popular target for phishing and other fraud attempts. Simply receiving e-invoices via email increases the risk of fake invoices or fraudulent content entering the organization. This makes it difficult to identify legitimate invoices and can cause financial losses or legal problems.

2. difficult authentication

E-mails offer only limited possibilities to ensure the authenticity and integrity of the invoices sent. There is often a lack of secure mechanisms to verify the identity of the sender and the integrity of the data, which weakens confidence in the correctness and origin of the e-invoicing.

3. limited automation

The process of automated further processing of e-invoices is made more difficult if invoices have to be manually extracted from emails and transferred to accounting or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. This is not only time-consuming, but also increases the susceptibility to errors.

4. problems with archiving obligations

According to the principles for the proper management and storage of books, records and documents in electronic form (GoBD), e-invoices must be archived electronically in their original format. However, an email often contains not only the invoice, but also other relevant information that must also be archived, which complicates the archiving process.

5. format compatibility and processing

As already mentioned, invoices that are received by email usually have to be manually transferred to the accounting software or a third-party processing system. However, this not only affects German invoice formats such as XRechnung or ZUGFeRD, but also European formats such as FatturaPA or Factur-X, which are also likely to “flutter in” more frequently in the future. The necessary conversion leads to additional work and increases the risk of errors during processing.

6. lack of integration in accounting systems

And again: an e-mail solution is not integrated into the accounting or ERP systems, which greatly hinders the automation of invoice receipt and processing. However, companies that rely on modern and efficient systems need solutions that are fully integrated and ensure smooth invoice processing.

7. scalability

While an email inbox may initially seem sufficient for smaller companies with low invoice volumes, this solution quickly reaches its limits as invoice volumes increase. A scalable, automated solution is therefore more efficient and secure in the long term.

Companies should therefore opt for e-invoicing platforms that are not only more secure, but also enable seamless integration into existing systems and comply with legal requirements more easily.

Regardless of which formats and transmission channels are required in the future for the tax and legally compliant, fast, environmentally friendly and secure exchange of invoice data: With the TRAFFIQX® network, you as sender and recipient are always on the safe side.