This guide describes how to set up the DATEV data services with X-Sitter. It is intended for you as a company and for your tax advisor. You will find the same guide in X-Sitter under **Accounting > DATEV > Setup instructions** (German: *Buchhaltung > DATEV > Anleitung zur Einrichtung*).

| DATEV data service | What X-Sitter does with it |
|---|---|
| **DATEV Buchungsdatenservice** | Your orders are transferred month by month as a posting batch in DATEV format to the DATEV data centre. Your tax advisor retrieves them in DATEV Kanzlei-Rechnungswesen. |
| **DATEV Belegbilderservice Rechnungswesen** (optional) | The invoice PDFs of your orders are transferred to DATEV Unternehmen online (Belege online) and linked to the postings. |

!!! warning Important
The DATEV Buchungsdatenservice (and, if required, the DATEV Belegbilderservice Rechnungswesen) must be ordered from DATEV and set up before use: [go.datev.de/datenservices-einrichten](http://go.datev.de/datenservices-einrichten)
!!!

![Screenshot: Page "Setup instructions" with the box "Status of your setup" and its checkmarks](/accounting/images/datev-setup-instructions.png)

## Before you start
- Your user needs the permissions for **Accounting › DATEV** (*Buchhaltung › DATEV*) and, for the settings, **Accounting › DATEV › Settings**. Ask your administrator if the menu entries are missing.
- The DATEV connection must be enabled for X-Sitter. If the connection page says *Die DATEV-Anbindung ist noch nicht freigeschaltet* (the DATEV connection has not been enabled yet), contact X-Sitter support.
- The DATEV connection counts towards the connections of your package, see [Billing and package](/administration/billing-and-package.md).

### Status of your setup
The page **Setup instructions** (*Anleitung zur Einrichtung*) shows a checklist of your setup, so you see at a glance what is still missing:

- Header data (advisor/client number) (*Kopfdaten (Berater-/Mandantennummer)*)
- Posting rules saved (*Buchungsregeln gespeichert*)
- Logged in to DATEV (*Bei DATEV angemeldet*)
- Client checked (Buchungsdatenservice) (*Mandant geprüft (Buchungsdatenservice)*)
- Belegbilderservice activated (optional) (*Belegbilderservice aktiviert (optional)*)

## Step 1: Ordering and setup at DATEV

These steps are usually carried out by your tax advisor (DATEV member). X-Sitter cannot do them for you.

1. The tax advisor orders the DATEV Buchungsdatenservice for your client file and sets it up: [Setting up DATEV data services](http://go.datev.de/datenservices-einrichten).
2. If the Belegbilderservice is to be used as well, DATEV Unternehmen online must be activated for the client and the desired document type (e.g. "Rechnungsausgang") must exist in Belege online.
3. The tax advisor grants a person from your company (or themselves) the right to use the data service on this client file. This person needs a DATEV account with SmartLogin or SmartCard to log in to DATEV from X-Sitter.
4. The firm gives you the advisor number (*Beraternummer*) and the client number (*Mandantennummer*) as well as the chart of accounts (SKR03/SKR04), the financial year and the length of the general ledger account numbers.

## Step 2: Settings in X-Sitter

Under **Accounting > DATEV > Settings** (*Buchhaltung > DATEV > Einstellungen*):

1. **"Header data" tab** (*Kopfdaten*): enter the advisor number, client number, start of the financial year, length of the general ledger accounts and the chart of accounts. These details are in the header of every file and must match your tax advisor's client file.
2. **"Orders" tab** (*Bestellungen*): the posting rules – chart of accounts, debtor account (collective debtor or one account per customer), revenue accounts per tax case (domestic 19 %, 7 %, tax-free, EU businesses, EU consumers, third countries), handling of shipping costs and credit notes, document fields and posting text, from which order status orders are posted and whether invoice PDFs are transferred as documents. Agree the accounts with your tax advisor and save the rules. Without saved rules no posting batch is created.
3. Click **Save** (*Speichern*). X-Sitter confirms with **The data has been saved** (*Die Daten wurden gespeichert*) and keeps the tab you last worked on open. As long as the posting rules have never been saved, the "Orders" tab is marked **open** (*offen*).

![Screenshot: DATEV settings, tab "Header data" with advisor number, client number, start of the financial year and chart of accounts](/accounting/images/datev-settings-header-data.png)

![Screenshot: DATEV settings, tab "Orders" with debtor account, revenue accounts per tax case and shipping costs](/accounting/images/datev-settings-posting-rules.png)

### Header data – fields

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Advisor number** (*Beraternummer*) | Your tax advisor's number at DATEV (1001 to 9999999). Required for the transfer. |
| **Client number** (*Mandantennummer*) | Your number at your tax advisor (1 to 99999). Required for the transfer. |
| **Start of the fiscal year** (*Beginn des Wirtschaftsjahres*) | Format YYYYMMDD, e.g. 20260101. |
| **General ledger account length** (*Sachkontenlänge*) / **Chart of accounts** (*Sachkontenrahmen*) | Usually 4 digits; SKR03 or SKR04. |
| **Name of the posting batch** (*Bezeichnung des Buchungsstapels*) | Optional, max. 30 characters. |
| Further header fields | Dictation code, posting type, accounting purpose, locking, currency and others. They can usually stay on their default values – see the help text next to each field. |

### Posting rules ("Orders" tab) – fields

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Chart of Accounts** (*Kontenrahmen*) | SKR03 or SKR04. Pre-fills the revenue accounts (SKR03: 8400 / 8300 / 8200 / 8125 / 8120; SKR04 accordingly). |
| **Order status at which orders are posted** (*Bestellstatus, ab dem gebucht wird*) | Comma-separated, e.g. `sent`. Only orders with this status are offered for posting. See [Order statuses](/orders/order-statuses.md). |
| **Cost Center (KOST1, optional)** (*Kostenstelle (KOST1, optional)*) | Cost centre added to every posting. |
| **Unit prices in the orders are** (*Positionspreise in den Aufträgen sind*) | **Gross prices (including sales tax)** (*Bruttopreise (inkl. USt)*) or **Net prices (plus sales tax)** (*Nettopreise (zzgl. USt)*). |
| **Debtor account** (*Debitorenkonto*) | **A single collective debtor for all customers** (*Sammeldebitor für alle Kunden*, e.g. 10000) or **One account per customer (number range)** (*eigenes Konto je Kunde (Nummernkreis)*) with a range from … to. |
| **Revenue accounts** (*Erlöskonten*) | Account and tax key (*BU-Schlüssel*) per tax case: domestic 19 %, domestic 7 %, domestic 0 % (tax-free), EU businesses, EU consumers (OSS – only if you take part in OSS, otherwise leave empty and they are posted like domestic), third countries. |
| **Shipping Costs** (*Versandkosten*) | **As revenue by tax rate** (*wie Erlös nach Steuersatz*) or **own accounts** (*eigene Konten*: shipping 19 %, shipping 7 %). |
| **Credits / Cancellations** (*Gutschriften / Stornos*) | **Swap debit and credit** (*Soll/Haben tauschen*) or **General reversal (tax key 2x)** (*Generalumkehr (BU-Schlüssel 2x)*). |
| **Document field 1 / 2** (*Belegfeld 1 / Belegfeld 2*) | Invoice number or order number (field 2 can also be empty). |
| **Posting text** (*Buchungstext*) | Optional, max. 60 characters. Placeholders: `{invoice_number}` `{order_number}` `{customer}` `{date}`. |
| **Transfer the invoice PDF as a document** (*Rechnungs-PDF als Beleg übertragen*) | **No** or **Yes (Belegbilderservice)**. Uses the invoice PDFs of your orders, see [Order documents](/orders/order-documents.md). |
| **Document type in DATEV** (*Belegtyp in DATEV*) / **Specify the document type** (*Belegtyp mitgeben*) | The document type must exist in DATEV Unternehmen online, e.g. Rechnungsausgang. It is checked before every transfer. |
| **Filing in Belege online** (*Ablage in Belege online*) / **Note on the document** (*Notiz am Beleg*) | Folder of the document archive (the register is the month YYYY-MM) and an optional note. |
| **Lock postings** (*Buchungen festschreiben*) | **No, tax advisor checks** (*nein, Steuerberater prüft*) or **Yes**. |

## Step 3: Connect to DATEV

Under **Accounting > DATEV > Connection** (*Buchhaltung > DATEV > Verbindung*):

1. Click **"Connect to DATEV"** (*Mit DATEV verbinden*). You are redirected to the DATEV login page and log in there with your DATEV account (SmartLogin app or SmartCard). DATEV shows you which access X-Sitter requests; confirm it.
2. Back in X-Sitter, choose the client from the list ("review and select", *prüfen und auswählen*). Only client files your DATEV user has access to are listed; only files for which the Buchungsdatenservice is set up can be selected. If there are many files, filter by advisor and client number.
3. The connection status shows **"connected"** (*verbunden*) as soon as DATEV has confirmed access to the client. It also shows who established the connection and until when access is valid. With the permanent connection, access is automatically extended by two years with every use.

![Screenshot: DATEV connection page with the status "connected", "Logged in by" and "Access valid until"](/accounting/images/datev-connection-status.png)

![Screenshot: List "Select client" with filter by advisor and client number and the button "review and select"](/accounting/images/datev-select-client.png)

Good to know about the connection:
- **Access type:** *Dauerzugriff* (permanent access) is extended by two years with every use. *Kurzzeitzugriff* (short-term access) is valid for 11 hours; after that you have to log in again.
- The DATEV login must be completed within 15 minutes. If you take longer or cancel, start again with **Connect to DATEV**.
- **"Sign in to DATEV again"** (*Erneut bei DATEV anmelden*) first revokes the previous access and then starts a new login, e.g. when a different person should hold the connection.
- If you are a client of a logistician, the connection may be provided by your logistician. The connection page then shows *Die Verbindung wird vom Logistiker bereitgestellt* (the connection is provided by the logistician).

## Step 4: Transfer posting batches

Under **Accounting > DATEV > Buchungsdatenservice**:

1. Choose a month. The preview shows all orders of the month with the configured order status that have not been transferred yet, with gross amount and notes (e.g. missing revenue account, different currency).
2. **"Create posting batch"** (*Buchungsstapel erzeugen*) creates the file in DATEV format. You can download it and have it checked beforehand with the DATEV checking program or by your tax advisor.
3. **"Submit to DATEV"** (*An DATEV übermitteln*) first sends the documents (if enabled) and then the posting batch to the DATEV data centre. DATEV then processes the file; the status is queried after the waiting time stated by DATEV.
4. Only when DATEV reports **"accepted"** (*angenommen*) is the batch considered transferred. The orders it contains are then no longer offered, so nothing is posted twice. If DATEV rejects the file, you see the error message on the batch; the orders are then free again for a new batch.
5. Your tax advisor finds the batch in DATEV Kanzlei-Rechnungswesen under the provided posting data; linked documents are in Belege online in the folder "X-Sitter".

![Screenshot: Page "Buchungsdatenservice" with month selection and the preview of the orders (date, order number, invoice number, customer, country, channel, gross, postings, document, note)](/accounting/images/datev-export-preview.png)

### Details on the transfer
- **Month** (*Monat*): you can choose one of the last 18 months; the previous month is preselected.
- **Preview columns:** date, order number, invoice number, customer, country, channel, gross, postings, document and note. Orders without an invoice PDF are posted without a document link (*kein Rechnungs-PDF, Buchung ohne Beleglink*).
- **Download EXTF file** (*EXTF-Datei herunterladen*): downloads the created batch so you or your tax advisor can check it before sending.
- **Discard a batch:** a batch that has not been transferred yet can be discarded (*Buchungsstapel verwerfen?* → *Ja, verwerfen*). Its orders are then free again.
- **Submit:** confirm the dialog with **Yes, submit** (*Ja, übermitteln*).
- **Check status** (*Status prüfen*): after the waiting time stated by DATEV, query the result. Open batches are also queried automatically once when you open the page.
- If a document upload fails, the posting batch is not sent.
- A rejected batch cannot be sent again. Fix the cause (see the DATEV message), then create a new batch.

![Screenshot: List "Posting batches and transfers" with one batch in each status and the buttons "Download EXTF file", "Submit to DATEV" and "Check status"](/accounting/images/datev-batches.png)

### Batch statuses

| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **created, not transferred** (*erzeugt, nicht übermittelt*) | The file exists in X-Sitter. You can download, submit or discard it. |
| **being processed by DATEV** (*wird von DATEV verarbeitet*) | The batch has been sent; DATEV has not reported a result yet. |
| **accepted** (*angenommen*) | DATEV has accepted the batch. Its orders count as transferred. |
| **rejected** (*abgelehnt*) | DATEV has rejected the batch. The error message is shown on the batch; the orders are free again. |
| **discarded** (*verworfen*) | You discarded the batch before sending it. |

!!!
X-Sitter can also notify you about rejected transfers or an expired DATEV connection via Telegram (notification *DATEV - Fehler*), see [Telegram notifications](/account/telegram-notifications.md).
!!!

## Disconnect or check access

- **"Disconnect"** (*Verbindung trennen*) on the connection page deletes the credentials in X-Sitter and revokes access at DATEV.
- You can see and revoke at any time which applications may access your DATEV data in the DATEV application ["Verbundene Anwendungen"](https://apps.datev.de/tokrevui).

## If something does not work

- Error messages from DATEV usually contain a link to the DATEV help; X-Sitter shows it directly in the message.
- **No client file with Buchungsdatenservice can be selected:** the data service has not been ordered or set up for the file yet, or your DATEV user does not have the right for it. Please contact your tax advisor.
- **DATEV reports that the document type does not exist:** the document type entered in the settings must exist in Belege online, or switch off "Specify the document type" (*Belegtyp mitgeben*).
- For all other questions about the connection, contact X-Sitter support via **Create ticket** (*Ticket erstellen*) in the footer of X-Sitter. We clarify technical questions with DATEV without you having to contact DATEV yourself.
- Do you work with the Dutch accounting software SnelStart instead? See [SnelStart](/accounting/snelstart.md).

| Message | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| *Die DATEV-Anbindung ist noch nicht freigeschaltet …* (the DATEV connection has not been enabled yet) | X-Sitter has not stored the DATEV app credentials yet. | Contact X-Sitter support. |
| *Für diesen Mandanten ist der DATEV Buchungsdatenservice nicht eingerichtet …* (the Buchungsdatenservice is not set up for this client) | The data service has not been ordered for this client file. | Ask your tax advisor to order and activate it. |
| *Auf diesen Mandanten hat der angemeldete DATEV-Benutzer keinen Zugriff* / *Dein DATEV-Benutzer hat auf keinen Mandanten Zugriff. Bitte lass dich vom Steuerberater freischalten.* (no access to the client) | Your DATEV user lacks the right for the client file. | Ask your tax advisor to grant the right. |
| *Ungültige oder abgelaufene DATEV-Anmeldung* / *Die DATEV-Anmeldung ist abgelaufen, bitte erneut starten* (login invalid or expired) | The DATEV login took longer than 15 minutes or was cancelled. | Click **Connect to DATEV** again. |
| *DATEV hat die Anmeldung abgelehnt: …* (DATEV rejected the login) | Error at DATEV. | Follow the message and the linked DATEV help. |
| *Die Firma ist nicht mit DATEV verbunden oder der Mandant ist noch nicht für den Buchungsdatenservice geprüft …* (not connected) | No connection or no client checked yet. Batches can be created and downloaded, but not submitted. | Complete Step 3. |
| *Die Buchungsregeln (Kontenrahmen, Debitoren, Erlöskonten) sind noch nicht gespeichert.* (posting rules not saved) | The "Orders" tab has never been saved. | Fill in the posting rules and save them. |
| *Die Kopfdaten des DATEV-Formats sind unvollständig:* (header data incomplete) | Required fields in the "Header data" tab are missing. | Complete the fields listed in the message. |
| *Keine offenen Aufträge mit dem eingestellten Status in diesem Monat.* (no open orders) | Nothing to post in this month. | Check the month and the order status in the posting rules. |
| *DATEV bittet um Wartezeit, nächste Abfrage frühestens …* (DATEV asks you to wait) | The status was queried too early. | Click **Check status** again after the stated time. |
| *Buchungsstapel nicht gefunden* (batch not found) | The batch no longer exists. | Reload the page. |