DATEV Integration with Odoo: How the Interface Works

By Christina Berg, Consultant at FlexCode Systems

Why DATEV integration is essential for German businesses

Over 3.5 million businesses in Germany use DATEV-based tax advisory services. For the German Mittelstand, DATEV is the de facto standard.

The two integration paths at a glance

Path 1: DATEV export file (standard solution for everyone)

Odoo generates an export file at regular intervals in DATEV ASCII or XML format. Your tax advisor imports it directly into DATEV Kanzlei-Rechnungswesen or DATEV Unternehmen online.

✓ No direct API access needed - works with any DATEV tax advisor.

Path 2: DATEV Unternehmen Online (DUO) - real-time sync

Via the DATEV API, documents and postings are transferred in real time directly into your tax advisor's DATEV environment.

✓ Your tax advisor always sees current figures - ideal for fast month-end closes.

Criterion	DATEV export	DUO (real-time)
License requirement	No extra license	DATEV Unternehmen Online
Sync frequency	Manual / scheduled	Real-time
Recommended for	All businesses	Intensive tax advisor collaboration

Step by step: setting up DATEV export in Odoo

Step 1: Check the German chart of accounts

SKR03 or SKR04 must be imported correctly. Confirm this with your tax advisor beforehand.

Step 2: Set up personal account numbers

Debtors (customers): typically 10000-69999
Creditors (suppliers): typically 70000-99999

!! Missing or incorrect personal account numbers are the most common cause of import errors at the tax advisor's office.

Step 3: Configure export parameters

Under Accounting → Reporting → DATEV Export: format, period, journals.

Step 4: Run a test export

Review it together with your tax advisor - this is where discrepancies in tax codes become visible.

Common sources of error

Problem	Cause	Solution
Incorrect tax codes	VAT configuration not DATEV-compliant	Align configuration with tax advisor
Missing personal accounts	No DATEV numbers on contacts	Enter from the DATEV client list
Duplicate postings	Overlapping export periods	Export each period only once

Which documents and data get transferred?

The DATEV interface typically transfers:

Journal entries from all journals (sales, purchases, bank, cash)
Open items for debtors and creditors
Fixed asset accounting, if managed in Odoo
VAT return data for the advance VAT return

Purely operational data such as stock levels or CRM activity is not transferred - DATEV stays focused on tax-relevant accounting data, while everything else stays in the ERP.

Onboarding with your tax advisor

The technical setup is only half the job - the other half is coordinating with the accounting firm:

Initial meeting with the tax advisor - Which DATEV programs does the firm use, and which format do they prefer?
Review a test export together - A real month is exported and imported into the firm's software before going live.
Agree on fixed handover dates - Usually month-end or a fixed cutoff date, so both sides work from the same data.
Name a point of contact - A fixed contact person on both sides speeds up troubleshooting considerably.

✓ Firms that already work with several Odoo clients usually already know the process - ask them directly.

How to get started

Confirm the chart of accounts (SKR03/SKR04) with your tax advisor
Set up personal account numbers for all active debtors/creditors
Configure export parameters in Odoo
Run a test export for a closed month
Agree on a fixed monthly handover process

Conclusion

With the right configuration, the monthly data exchange runs fully automatically - your tax advisor receives all data on time, and you gain time for your core business.

FlexCode Systems sets up the DATEV interface as standard on every Odoo implementation in Germany.