How Germany MwSt / USt works
Germany charges Umsatzsteuer (USt), commonly called Mehrwertsteuer (MwSt), at a standard rate of 19%. A reduced rate of 7% applies to many foodstuffs, books, newspapers, and local public transport.
To add 19% VAT to a net price in euros: multiply by 1.19. Example: €100 net → €19 VAT → €119 gross. To remove VAT from a gross price: divide by 1.19. Example: €119 ÷ 1.19 = €100 net.
German invoices (Rechnungen) for VAT-registered businesses must show the net amount, tax rate, tax amount, and gross total, plus the supplier's USt-IdNr (VAT ID) when required. Freelancers and GmbHs use these figures daily when billing clients.
This free online calculator lets you verify German VAT before you generate a professional invoice in EUR with InvoBuzz — pre-configured for Germany's tax settings.
Reverse charge & inclusive prices
EU B2B reverse charge (Reverse-Charge-Verfahren) may apply when supplying services to VAT-registered businesses in other EU member states. In those cases the customer accounts for German or local VAT instead of you charging 19%.
Invoice requirements
A German VAT invoice typically requires: full names and addresses, tax number or USt-IdNr, consecutive invoice number, date, description, net amount, tax rate, tax amount, and gross total.