DATEV Export for Incoming Invoices: Create and Import EXTF Files

#TL;DR

• What a DATEV export is: A DATEV export writes your invoice data into a DATEV-Format file (EXTF) that gets imported into DATEV. It is a file you download and hand over, not a live interface into the DATEV system.
• What EXTF actually is: EXTF is DATEV's ASCII import format, the so-called DATEV-Format. The export is a Buchungsstapel (posting-batch) text file; NameQuick Invoices can also produce a plain CSV that many accounting programs accept.
• The import is manual: You (or your tax advisor) import the file through DATEV's ASCII/batch import. Nothing is transmitted to DATEV automatically, and no account in DATEV changes until someone runs that import.
• Not a direct DATEV interface: NameQuick Invoices does not connect to the DATEV API and is not a DATEV Marketplace integration. If you need a live, synced connection, that is a different category of product.
• How NameQuick Invoices fits: It collects incoming invoices via email forwarding or upload, reads ZUGFeRD/XRechnung XML directly or falls back to OCR, flags low-confidence fields for review, and then lets you export a DATEV EXTF file. DATEV export is available from the Core plan (19 EUR/month).

Many business owners know the Monday-morning scenario: emails with PDF invoices pile up next to scanned paper receipts, and every invoice has to be captured and handed to the tax advisor. A DATEV export is the step that turns that pile into a single file your tax advisor can pull into DATEV, instead of re-typing each invoice by hand.

This guide is about the manual DATEV export and import workflow specifically: what the DATEV-Format (EXTF) file is, how you create one in NameQuick Invoices, and how it gets imported into DATEV. If you came here looking for a live, always-on integration that syncs data into DATEV by itself, that is a different product category, and the honest answer is to look at a DATEV Marketplace interface partner instead.

#What a DATEV Export Actually Means

A DATEV export is a file. Your software writes accounting data into DATEV's defined text format, you get a file, and that file is later imported into DATEV. That is the whole mechanism. There is no live link between the exporting tool and DATEV: the data sits in a file until a person imports it.

This matters because "DATEV interface" is often used loosely to mean two very different things. One is a live API integration where records flow into DATEV automatically. The other, far more common for preparatory accounting, is exactly this file export and manual import. NameQuick Invoices does the second one.

#The DATEV-Format (EXTF), Briefly

EXTF is the marker at the start of DATEV's import format, the format DATEV itself calls the "DATEV-Format". It is an ASCII text file (usually saved as .csv or .txt) with a fixed header line followed by data rows. The most common export for incoming invoices is the Buchungsstapel, the posting batch: a header describing the file (format version, data category, fiscal year, chart-of-accounts settings, booking period) and then one row per posting.

For the exact field layout, DATEV publishes the specification itself: the DATEV-Format developer documentation (verified 2026-07-17) and the Buchungsstapel format description (verified 2026-07-17). We deliberately do not restate a specific column layout here, because the correct fields depend on the DATEV format version and your chart of accounts; the DATEV specification is the authoritative source.

In practice you deal with two things: the EXTF Buchungsstapel that carries the postings, and, when a program cannot read EXTF, a plainer CSV. NameQuick Invoices can produce both.

#This Is Not a Live DATEV Interface

To be explicit: NameQuick Invoices generates a DATEV EXTF file that you or your tax advisor import into DATEV manually. It is not a DATEV API connection, not a DATEV Marketplace integration, and not a direct sync. No data reaches DATEV until someone runs the import, and NameQuick Invoices does not crawl portals or push records into any accounting system on its own.

If you specifically need a live integration, DATEV lists vendors with a certified data-service connection on the DATEV Marketplace. That is the right place to look for a real interface; a file-export tool cannot replace one.

#Who Uses a DATEV Export

Tax advisors and accounting firms. Tax advisors work in DATEV every day and prefer a structured file over a stack of PDFs. An EXTF Buchungsstapel lets them import postings in one step rather than re-keying each invoice, which is faster and removes a class of typing errors.

Small businesses and freelancers. For self-employed people and small teams who only do preparatory bookkeeping, a DATEV export is the simplest way to hand the tax advisor everything at once. You collect and review the incoming invoices, export the file, and send it on.

With the e-invoicing reception obligation in force since 1 January 2025, businesses increasingly receive ZUGFeRD or XRechnung documents, which carry structured XML. That structured data is what makes a clean export possible, because the fields are read from the XML rather than guessed from a scan. For more on receiving e-invoices, see our guide to invoice intake software.

#How to Create a DATEV Export in NameQuick Invoices

NameQuick Invoices is built for teams that want to simplify invoice intake and hand structured data to their tax advisor. Creating the export is the last step of a short workflow:

1. Consolidate invoice intake. PDF invoices, ZUGFeRD/XRechnung files and scans arrive in one inbox via a dedicated email address or upload.

2. Read the data. For ZUGFeRD and XRechnung, NameQuick Invoices reads the structured XML fields directly, so e-invoice data does not need re-keying. Digital PDFs use text extraction; scans and photos use OCR. Each field gets a confidence score, and low-confidence fields are flagged for review. You can also check any single file for free in the browser with the e-invoice validator and e-invoice viewer.

3. Review and de-duplicate. Documents with low-confidence fields or a likely duplicate go into a review queue. The reviewer checks the fields, corrects them if needed, and marks the document ready. Only invoices with a "Ready" status are included in an export.

4. Export the DATEV file. Once reviewed, you generate a DATEV EXTF Buchungsstapel; each ready document becomes a posting row, with master data such as supplier, invoice date and net amount carried along. A CSV export is available for programs that prefer it. Originals are kept unchanged with a full operation history, which follows GoBD principles for traceable records, though GoBD compliance always depends on your whole bookkeeping process, not on any single tool.

#How to Import the EXTF File into DATEV

Once you have the EXTF file, the import happens inside DATEV, either on your side or your tax advisor's. Here is how to do it yourself:

1. In DATEV Rechnungswesen, open the ASCII/batch import (for example under Bestand, Import, ASCII-Daten, or via the batch-processing dialog).
2. Point the import at the EXTF file NameQuick Invoices produced and select the matching format (the Buchungsstapel layout).
3. Confirm the field mapping if prompted, check the booking period and chart of accounts, and run the import.

DATEV documents this import step in its help centre: ASCII data import and export (verified 2026-07-17). Many firms prefer to let the tax advisor run the import, so sharing the file and letting them import it on their side is a completely normal path.

Treat the steps above as instructions, not a guarantee. We are still completing an end-to-end import test against a live DATEV installation, so we do not claim that a given export file imports without any adjustment. Field mapping and chart-of-accounts settings differ from one client to the next, and your tax advisor may need to tweak the format before the batch posts. When in doubt, send a small test export to your advisor first and confirm it reads cleanly on their side before relying on it for a full period.

#When You Need a Real DATEV Integration Instead

A file export covers most preparatory-accounting needs: you review invoices, export once, and hand the file over. It does not cover cases where you want records to appear in DATEV continuously and automatically, with no manual import at all. That is a live integration, and it is a genuinely different product.

If that is what you need, the honest pointer is the DATEV Marketplace, where DATEV lists interface partners with a certified data-service connection. NameQuick Invoices is not one of them, and a manual EXTF export is not a substitute for that kind of connection. Choose based on which workflow you actually want: a file you control and hand over, or a live sync you configure once and leave running.

#What to Check Before You Rely on a DATEV Export

Format fit. Confirm the tool produces a DATEV-Format (EXTF) Buchungsstapel, and ask your tax advisor whether they want EXTF or a plain CSV. The advisor's DATEV setup, not the exporting tool, decides what imports cleanly.

Chart of accounts. EXTF files carry chart-of-accounts settings (for example SKR 03 or SKR 04). Make sure the export matches what your advisor uses, or the import will need remapping.

E-invoice handling. Since 2025 you must be able to receive e-invoices. A tool should read ZUGFeRD and XRechnung structurally rather than only scanning a PDF, so the exported data comes from the XML.

Review before export. A DATEV export is only as good as the data behind it. Confidence scoring, a review queue and duplicate detection matter more than any headline number, because they catch the fields that would otherwise post wrong.

Records and retention. Look for unchanged originals and a traceable operation history. That follows GoBD principles, but treat overall GoBD compliance as a property of your process, not a badge on a single tool.

#Conclusion

A DATEV export removes the manual re-typing between your invoices and your tax advisor's DATEV. The mechanism is simple and worth stating plainly: you create a DATEV-Format (EXTF) file, and someone imports it into DATEV. It is a file handover, not a live interface.

NameQuick Invoices fits the file-export workflow: it collects incoming invoices via email or upload, reads XML e-invoices and PDFs, flags uncertain fields for review, and exports a DATEV EXTF Buchungsstapel (or CSV) that you or your tax advisor import by hand. If you instead need a live, synced DATEV connection, a DATEV Marketplace interface partner is the right category, and this guide is not describing that. For teams that just want their reviewed invoices handed over as one clean file, the export is an efficient, affordable way to do it.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#What is a DATEV export?

A DATEV export writes accounting data into DATEV's import format (the DATEV-Format, marked EXTF) as a file. You or your tax advisor then import that file into DATEV. It is a file export followed by a manual import, not a live connection to the DATEV system.

#What does EXTF mean?

EXTF is the identifier at the start of a DATEV-Format file; it marks a file meant for import into DATEV. The most common export for incoming invoices is a Buchungsstapel (posting batch): a header line describing the file, followed by one row per posting. DATEV publishes the exact field layout in its developer documentation (verified 2026-07-17).

#Does NameQuick Invoices connect directly to DATEV?

No. NameQuick Invoices generates a DATEV EXTF file (and CSV) that you or your tax advisor import into DATEV manually. It is not a DATEV API connection, not a DATEV Marketplace integration, and not a direct sync. If you need a live integration, see the DATEV Marketplace.

#How do I import the EXTF file into DATEV?

In DATEV Rechnungswesen, open the ASCII/batch import, select the EXTF Buchungsstapel file, confirm the field mapping and booking period, and run the import. DATEV describes this in its help centre article on ASCII data import and export (verified 2026-07-17). Many firms let the tax advisor run the import instead.

#Can I import a plain CSV into DATEV?

Yes. Alongside the EXTF Buchungsstapel, DATEV can read ASCII files in .csv or .txt form, which is why NameQuick Invoices also offers a CSV export. The right choice depends on what your tax advisor's DATEV setup expects.

#How much does the DATEV export cost with NameQuick Invoices?

DATEV EXTF export is included from the Core plan at 19 EUR/month (or 190 EUR/year). The Starter plan is 9 EUR/month (90 EUR/year) for invoice intake and review; Team is 39 EUR/month (390 EUR/year) for higher volume.

#How does preparatory accounting work with a DATEV export?

Preparatory accounting means collecting, capturing and reviewing invoices before they go to the tax advisor. NameQuick Invoices takes invoices in via email or upload, reads the data from XML or OCR, lets you review and de-duplicate, and then exports a DATEV EXTF file. Your advisor imports that file into DATEV instead of re-typing each invoice.