ClearTax E-Invoice is an integration that automatically submits RMS tax invoices for German Properties to ClearTax, which delivers them over the Peppol network to meet Germany's B2B e-invoicing requirement.

Overview

Germany's domestic Business-to-Business (B2B) e-invoicing regime requires businesses to exchange structured electronic invoices.

Since 1 January 2025, German businesses must be able to receive e-invoices. From 1 January 2027, businesses must also issue them, although issuers with a prior-year turnover of EUR 800,000 or less can use transition provisions until 31 December 2027.

RMS supports this obligation through its ClearTax E-Invoice integration. When the integration is active on a Property, RMS sends each eligible tax invoice to ClearTax, which validates it and delivers it to the recipient over the Peppol network in a format based on the EN 16931 European standard. RMS sends the invoice automatically when a tax invoice is created, so no extra steps are required from the user during daily operations.

The Germany configuration applies only to Properties with Country set to Germany, and covers B2B invoices only. It does not affect invoices issued by Properties in other countries.

The E-Invoice module is separate from the Fiscalisation module that German Properties use with Fiskaly. A Property can run both modules at the same time, and activating the E-Invoice module does not change the Fiscalisation setup.

Please Note! RMS is highly configurable. Some Terminology, User Access & Permissions, Images, Labels, and Functions used in these articles may differ from your setup. CLICK HERE to find out more.

Prerequisites

The ClearTax E-Invoice integration for Germany has the following prerequisites:

• The Property is registered in Germany and the Country field in Property Information is set to Germany.
• The business holds a valid German VAT number.
• The business has a Peppol ID that identifies it on the Peppol network.
• A ClearTax account with an active Access Token, provisioned directly with ClearTax.
• The E-Invoice module is activated on the Property via the Module Market. System Administrators and the Manager Profile have access to the Module Market, and other users can be given access through their Security Profile.
• Administrative access in RMS to edit Property Options and module configuration settings.

Information

How the ClearTax integration works in Germany

The ClearTax E-Invoice integration for Germany runs each time a tax invoice is created for a German Property. RMS checks the party the invoice is issued to and decides whether to submit the invoice to ClearTax. RMS uses the Invoice To party on the account, or the Bill To party when no separate Invoice To is set.

When submission is required, RMS sends the invoice to ClearTax. ClearTax validates the invoice and delivers it to the recipient over the Peppol network. RMS then checks the delivery status with ClearTax and records the result against the invoice.

If ClearTax rejects the invoice, RMS sends an email with the error details to the Property's email address in Property Information. The invoice is not recorded as sent, so the user can correct the underlying data and reprint the invoice to retry.

Activation conditions

The ClearTax E-Invoice integration is active for a German Property's invoices when all four conditions are true:

• The Property Country is set to Germany.
• The E-Invoice module is active on the Property.
• ClearTax is selected as the e-invoicing partner on the Property.
• The module configuration holds a Peppol ID, a VAT Number and an Access Token.

Key terms

The ClearTax E-Invoice integration for Germany uses the following terms:

• Peppol (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) - the Europe-wide network used to transmit e-invoices between businesses and government entities.
• Peppol ID - the network identifier for a business on the Peppol network. RMS needs a Peppol ID for the Property (in the module configuration) and for every Company or Travel Agent that receives e-invoices. Format: Scheme:Identifier (for example, 9930:DE123456789).
• EN 16931 - the European standard for the content of electronic invoices.
• VAT Number - the German VAT identification number. RMS reads a Company's or Travel Agent's VAT number from the ABN/GST field on its profile.
• Party Identification Number - an optional additional identifier for the Property, entered in Scheme:Identifier format. RMS leaves it off the invoice when it is blank or not in that format.
• Invoice To - the person or company receiving the services and named as the recipient on the tax invoice. For e-invoicing, the Invoice To party is the buyer.

Setup

Step 1 - Activate

Activate the ClearTax E-Invoice integration for Germany as follows:

1. Confirm the Property Country is set to Germany in Setup > Property Options > Property Information.
2. Activate the E-Invoice module for the Property via the Module Market.
3. Select ClearTax as the e-invoicing partner.

Step 2 - Enter credentials

Once the E-Invoice module is activated, open the module configuration and enter the following details for the Property.

Step 3 - Record Peppol IDs and VAT numbers on Company and Travel Agent accounts

The ClearTax E-Invoice integration uses the Peppol ID and VAT number recorded on the invoice recipient to decide whether and how to submit an invoice. Record these values on every Company and Travel Agent account that may receive German tax invoices.

To label the Travel Agent field as Peppol ID, go to Setup > Property Options > Labels > Travel Agent tab, enter Peppol ID in Spare Field 4, then select Save/Exit.

Step 4 - Test

Test the ClearTax E-Invoice integration for Germany in the RMS Training Database before going live. RMS sends invoices raised in the Training Database to the ClearTax sandbox (test) environment, so the module configuration there needs ClearTax sandbox credentials.

1. In the RMS Training Database, enter the ClearTax sandbox credentials in the E-Invoice module configuration.
2. Create a test reservation and post charges across at least two charge types.
3. Set the Invoice To (or Bill To) party to a Company account that has a valid Peppol ID and VAT number recorded.
4. Issue a tax invoice, then reprint the invoice and confirm the Status at the bottom shows that ClearTax delivered it.
5. Repeat the test with a Travel Agent account as the Invoice To party.
6. Once testing is complete and successful, enter the live credentials in the E-Invoice module configuration for the live database.

Daily Use

Issuing a tax invoice

When a tax invoice is created for a German Property, the ClearTax E-Invoice integration automatically decides whether to submit it based on the Invoice To party, its Peppol ID and its VAT number. No extra steps are required from the user: the invoice is raised as normal and the submission happens in the background.

Decision logic on invoice creation

The ClearTax E-Invoice integration for Germany decides whether to send each tax invoice as follows.

Invoices RMS does not send

The ClearTax E-Invoice integration for Germany also skips an otherwise eligible invoice in these cases:

• The invoice carries a VAT rate other than 19%, 7% or 0%.
• The invoice is printed in a currency other than the Property's local currency.

Checking the submission result

The submission result for each German e-invoice prints at the bottom of the tax invoice in three fields: Unique ID, Document ID and Status. The fields appear only after ClearTax has returned a value.

Cancelled invoices and credit notes

When a German tax invoice is cancelled, the ClearTax E-Invoice integration sends a credit note to ClearTax that references the original invoice. The credit note follows the same decision logic as the original invoice.

Error handling

If ClearTax rejects a German e-invoice, RMS emails the error details to the Property's email address in Property Information. The email subject starts with "ClearTax Unsuccessful Response" and includes the numbers of the invoices affected. The invoice is not recorded as sent. After correcting the underlying issue (typically an incorrect Peppol ID, VAT number or Access Token), reprint the invoice to retry the submission.

Common Setup Issues

The most common ClearTax E-Invoice setup issues for Germany, and their fixes, are listed below.

• Issue: An invoice is not submitted to ClearTax for a Company account.
  Fix: Check that the party on the invoice is the one you expect: RMS uses the Invoice To party when one is set. Then confirm that the Company has a Peppol ID in Scheme:Identifier format in the ACN field, and that the ABN/GST field does not contain "-".
• Issue: No invoices are sent for the Property at all.
  Fix: Confirm that the E-Invoice module configuration holds the VAT Number as well as the Peppol ID and Access Token, and that the Property's Peppol ID uses Scheme:Identifier format.
• Issue: ClearTax rejects the invoice.
  Fix: Check the failure email for the specific error. Common causes are an incorrect Access Token, a mistyped Peppol ID or a VAT number format error. Correct the credential or account data and reprint to retry.
• Issue: The failure email says a valid licence is not present.
  Fix: The Access Token is no longer valid. Contact ClearTax for a new Access Token, then update it in the E-Invoice module configuration.
• Issue: An invoice is not sent and no failure email arrives.
  Fix: Check the invoice against the rules under "Invoices RMS does not send", for example a VAT rate other than 19%, 7% or 0%.
• Issue: The Property cannot be selected for the Germany configuration.
  Fix: Confirm the Property Country is set to Germany in Property Information.

FAQs

Does the E-Invoice module replace the Fiscalisation module for Germany?

No. The E-Invoice module and the Fiscalisation module are separate, and a German Property can run both at the same time. Activating the E-Invoice module does not change the Fiscalisation setup.

Are invoices for guests sent to ClearTax?

No. The Germany configuration covers B2B invoices only. Invoices where the Invoice To party is a guest are not sent.

Does ClearTax cost extra?

ClearTax is a separately contracted service. The Property must hold its own ClearTax account and API credentials.

What if the Property is part of a multi-property group with properties in different countries?

Activation is per Property. Only Properties with Country set to Germany and the E-Invoice module active use the Germany configuration. Properties in other countries use their own country-specific configuration if e-invoicing is enabled, or are unaffected if it is not.

Related Articles

• What is the difference between Bill To and Invoice To?
• Modules & Interfaces
• Interface Partners