Freeman in Germany: The Bureaucracy Guide

Germany is known for paperwork ("Papierkram"), and freelancing is no exception. Whether you are a *Freiberufler* (Doctor, Lawyer, Designer) or a *Gewerbetreibender*, your invoices must be perfect to be accepted by the Finanzamt.

The Kleinunternehmer Rule

If your revenue was under €22,000** last year and under **€50,000 this year, you can choose to be a "Small Business" (*Kleinunternehmer*).

Benefit: You don't charge VAT (19%).

Requirement: You must add a specific legal phrase to every invoice: *"Gemäß § 19 UStG wird keine Umsatzsteuer berechnet."*

Mandatory Invoice Fields

1. Fortlaufende Rechnungsnummer: A unique, sequential invoice number. 2. Steuernummer: Your tax ID. 3. Leistungszeitraum: Date of service delivery.

How SparkyMinis Handles German Precision 🇩🇪

1. For Kleinunternehmer (No VAT)

Go to: `Dashboard > Settings > Business Profile`.

Add to Default Footer: *"Gemäß § 19 UStG wird keine Umsatzsteuer berechnet."*

This ensures every PDF you generate automatically includes the mandatory legal disclaimer.

2. For Regular VAT (Regelbesteuerung)

Create a `MwSt 19%` Tax Chip.

Apply it to your line items.

The system separates the Netto (Net) and Brutto (Gross) amounts clearly.

3. Sequential Numbering

SparkyMinis handles the *Fortlaufende Rechnungsnummer* automatically.

Format: `YYYY-001`, `YYYY-002`.

This format is accepted by German tax authorities as it is unique and distinguishable.

Set Up Your German Tax Profile →

"Germany: Kleinunternehmer vs. Regular VAT"

Freeman in Germany: The Bureaucracy Guide

The Kleinunternehmer Rule

Mandatory Invoice Fields

How SparkyMinis Handles German Precision 🇩🇪

1. For Kleinunternehmer (No VAT)

2. For Regular VAT (Regelbesteuerung)

3. Sequential Numbering

Recent Insights

"Client vs. Friend: Managing Your Network"

"Privacy is Architecture, Not Policy"

"The Anti-Burnout Schedule: Deep Work & Deep Rest"

"Stop Balancing, Start Integrating"

"Why We Don't Trust the Cloud (Fully)"

Join our Newsletter