Module 6 of 16
E-invoicing without headaches — receive, check and send compliant by the deadline
Receive, validate and send electronic invoices in EN16931, EXTENDED and XRECHNUNG formats. Dedicated email mailbox per tenant, AI helper for validation and an approval inbox with four-eyes principle. GDPR-compliant and EU-hosted at Hetzner Nuremberg, for 49 € net/user/month all-in.
What E-Invoice does
Formats EN16931, EXTENDED and XRECHNUNG
DARION-AI generates and reads the three formats relevant for German and European B2B invoices: EN16931 as the European standard, EXTENDED for ZUGFeRD profiles with extended business data and XRECHNUNG as the mandatory format for public-sector recipients in Germany. Per outgoing invoice you choose the profile or let DARION-AI decide automatically based on the recipient. The XML validation runs against the official Schematron rules, errors are marked directly in the document and explained in plain text. Hybrid PDFs with embedded XML are generated correctly — suppliers and customers can either open the human-readable view or process the XML automatically. Version updates of the Schematron rules we maintain centrally, you don't have to follow up yourself when KoSIT releases new validation rules.
Approval inbox with four-eyes principle
Incoming e-invoices land in a central approval inbox. You see supplier, amount, due date and automatically extracted purchase order references at a glance. Approvals run either via four-eyes principle or multi-step workflows depending on amount threshold and cost center. Comments, queries and rejections are documented in the document, the audit trail later shows completely who approved what when. Substitute rules for vacation and sickness you store per approver, DARION-AI reroutes automatically. Escalation notifications for overdue approvals go via email or push to the deputy. Mobile approval via app works for amounts up to the personal limit of the approver — you no longer delay early-payment discount deadlines while on the road without a laptop.
Dedicated email mailbox per tenant
Each tenant gets its own email mailbox ([email protected] or own domain) which DARION-AI connects directly. Incoming PDFs and XML attachments are recognised automatically, assigned to the tenant and handed over to the e-invoice pipeline. Suppliers don't have to change anything — they continue sending to the familiar email address, you receive the invoice structured in DARION-AI. Spam, dunning and non-invoice mails are sorted out by the AI helper, but remain available in the mailbox. Mailbox access is tenant-separated by Postgres Row-Level Security, physically isolated. The outgoing mailbox for outbound invoices is also multi-tenant capable, so recipients can reply and the conversation lands at the document.
AI helper for checking and account assignment
The AI helper checks every incoming e-invoice for plausibility, compares the amount with the order and goods receipt and suggests journal entry, account and cost center. Learns from your corrections — Mistral-based, EU-hosted, no data outflow to third countries. Anomalies like unusual amounts, new IBANs or duplicate invoices are marked directly in the approval inbox. For recurring suppliers, the helper recognises patterns and after confirmation takes over journal entry and cost center automatically. After 50 approved documents per supplier, about 80 percent of suggestions can be accepted directly. You retain authority, auto-booking only runs when you explicitly enable it per supplier.
GoBD- and eIDAS-compliant archiving
All e-invoices are stored GoBD-compliant and unchangeable, with audit trail, access logs and statutory retention period of ten years. Optional qualified electronic signature under eIDAS for invoices that have to be sent signed — for example to public-sector recipients or for foreign invoices. At a tax inspector's appointment you export the requested period in two clicks as an IDEA-compliant Z3 data carrier including index file. The original file (XML or hybrid PDF) is delivered together with validation report and approval history, so the audit can be reconstructed completely. Deletion holds for ongoing proceedings or legal disputes you set per document, DARION-AI respects the hold even beyond the retention end.
Sending via PEPPOL and email
Outgoing e-invoices you send via the PEPPOL network to connected recipients or as XML/PDF hybrid via email. DARION-AI is connected as a PEPPOL Access Point, your tenant ID is set up at onboarding — you don't have to register yourself. Status messages (delivered, accepted, rejected) flow back directly into the document, you don't have to check the outbox. For recipients without PEPPOL connection, DARION-AI recognises this automatically and sends the hybrid PDF via email with read receipt. Returns and bounces land in a separate follow-up list, you process them structured. Cancellation and correction invoices are correctly chained and reported back to the recipient.
Who uses this module
CEO
You have to prepare for the staggered B2B obligation 2027/2028 — receiving from 2025, issuing for large companies from 2027, for everyone from 2028. DARION-AI handles the transition rules: receiving via the tenant-specific mailbox runs immediately, outgoing sending you enable step by step per business partner. In the dashboard you see the rate of incoming e-invoices, open approvals and suppliers still sending PDFs — clean for the next management meeting. The AI helper answers questions like 'Which suppliers didn't send an e-invoice in April?' directly in the chat. For auditors and tax inspections you export the GoBD data carrier in two clicks. The investment in an external e-invoicing provider you save, everything is included in DARION-AI's 49 € net/user/month.
Team lead
As accounting lead you steer the approval inbox. Incoming invoices are automatically assigned to the right clerk — by supplier, cost center or amount threshold. You see the queue live, can escalate and approve as deputy. For each supplier you see historical amounts, the AI helper marks outliers and duplicate invoices before they're approved. Before month-end close you export all approved e-invoices GoBD-compliant to the tax advisor — DATEV-CSV or directly into their system. Complaints to suppliers you write from DARION-AI, the mail history hangs at the document. Early-payment discount deadlines are monitored automatically, you get push notifications for invoices that would lose their discount window in the next three days.
Employee
You're a clerk and check incoming invoices daily. In the approval inbox you only see those assigned to you. Supplier, purchase order reference, goods receipt and AI suggestion are right at the document — you click approve or correct. For queries you write the comment to the supplier directly from DARION-AI, the dedicated email mailbox sends automatically and the conversation lands at the document. No Excel list, no PDF shuffling via mail. For unclear cases you mark the document with a note and return it to the team lead. Mobile approval via app works for amounts up to your personal limit. When you're unsure, the AI helper helps with a plausibility check — ask the question, get the answer, no tax advisor call needed. Recurring suppliers you recognise immediately in the preview, for new suppliers DARION-AI shows you the bank details in the context of the previous order, so you don't accidentally transfer to a fake IBAN.
Connects with
DATEVLexwareSevdeskMicrosoft 365PEPPOL
Frequently asked questions
Ready for DARION-AI E-Invoice?
49 € net/user/month — all modules included
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