accounting

DATEV

Also known as: DATEV eG, DATEV Rechnungswesen

DATEV is a German cooperative founded in 1966 in Nuremberg whose accounting software is used by approximately 88% of German tax advisors (Steuerberater).

In 30 seconds

  • Founded: 1966 in Nuremberg, Germany
  • Type: Cooperative (eG) owned by tax advisors
  • Market share: ~88% of German Steuerberater
  • Main product: DATEV Rechnungswesen (bookkeeping)
  • Data exchange format: EXTF (Export-Format)

What DATEV does

DATEV provides software, infrastructure, and services that connect German businesses with their tax advisors. The flagship product, DATEV Rechnungswesen, handles bookkeeping, balance sheets, payroll (Lohn und Gehalt), and tax filings.

When a business sends its bookkeeping data to a Steuerberater, the standard format is a DATEV-compatible file — typically EXTF CSV for invoices, expenses, and journal entries.

Why DATEV matters for businesses

If your tax advisor uses DATEV (most do), sending data in DATEV format saves both sides hours of manual entry. A clean DATEV EXTF export can be imported in seconds; a shoebox of PDFs takes hours of typing.

DATEV vs. modern alternatives

DATEV is dominant but slow-moving. Modern accounting software (lexoffice, sevdesk, KontoMatch) often produces DATEV-compatible exports while offering better UX, AI-powered receipt capture, and bank reconciliation. The trick: pick a tool that exports clean DATEV EXTF.

Common terms in DATEV

  • Sachkonto — Ledger account number
  • SKR03 / SKR04 — Standard chart of accounts (small business / corporate)
  • Buchungssatz — Journal entry
  • Mandant — Client account in DATEV
  • EXTF — Export-Format for data exchange

Related terms

Sachkonto A Sachkonto is a numbered ledger account in German accounting used to classify business transactions — for example office supplies, travel expenses, or revenue. SKR03 SKR03 is the standard chart of accounts (Standardkontenrahmen) most German freelancers and small businesses use for bookkeeping — a 4-digit numbering scheme that categorizes every transaction. EXTF EXTF (Export-Format) is DATEV's standardized CSV format for moving bookkeeping data — invoices, expenses, journal entries, and chart-of-account postings — between accounting software and tax advisors. EXTF EXTF (Export-Format) is DATEV's standardized CSV format for moving bookkeeping data — invoices, expenses, journal entries, and chart-of-account postings — between accounting software and tax advisors. GoBD GoBD (Grundsätze zur ordnungsmäßigen Führung und Aufbewahrung von Büchern) is the German Federal Ministry of Finance's binding rulebook for digital bookkeeping — covering completeness, immutability, traceability, and 10-year retention of business records.