EU E-Invoice APIXRechnung 4.0: status and changes
What is settled about XRechnung 4.0 and what is still open. Status: 31 October 2026, from the KoSIT version overview.
Status of the versions
| Version | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|
| XRechnung 3.0 | in force, the version to use | stays in force until at least 31 July 2027 |
| XRechnung 4.0.0 | pre-version of the specification, no valid-from date | 15 September 2026 |
| XRechnung 4.0 | not published yet | bundle with the technical components expected in spring 2027 |
What this means for software
Keep creating invoices as XRechnung 3.0. The pre-version covers the specification only. The rules for validating against 4.0 are not published, so nobody can say yet which rules change.
According to trade press reports, the pre-version implements the revised standard EN 16931-1:2026. The KoSIT version overview so far says nothing about backward compatibility or transition periods.
Compare the rules
When a version's rules are published, the changes per rule appear under rule changes, next to the earlier releases of XRechnung 3.0.2 and Peppol BIS.
Source: KoSIT, XRechnung versions and bundles (German). Not legal advice.
Check the whole invoice: format, mandatory fields, code lists and calculation rules, in the browser and without sign-up.