The monthly handover chaos — and why it's expensive
Every month, the same routine: export your shop's transactions, assemble spreadsheets, match incoming payments, sort receipts and somehow hand it all over to the tax office. It often ends in manual copy-paste or re-keying posting records — error-prone, time-consuming and frustrating on both sides. Typos in amounts, wrong accounts or forgotten transactions lead to queries, corrections and avoidable advisory costs.
The elegant solution is a standardized, machine-readable handover. German tax practice has an established format for exactly this: the DATEV EXTF posting batch (Buchungsstapel).
The vast majority of German tax advisors (Steuerberater) work within the DATEV software ecosystem. Hand over your bookkeeping data in a DATEV-conformant way and you speak the firm's language — turning the handover into a single import.
What is the DATEV EXTF posting batch?
DATEV is the dominant software ecosystem for accounting and tax advisory in Germany. EXTF is the CSV-based import/export format used to read data into the DATEV applications. The posting batch (Buchungsstapel) is the central file: it contains the individual posting records (transactions) for a period — with amount, debit/credit, accounts, document fields, date and tax key.
When this posting batch is in the correct EXTF structure, the firm can import it in a few clicks. "Please send me your transactions" becomes a defined, repeatable process — identical month after month.
One click instead of copy-paste
Sequent turns your shop's order and payment data into a DATEV-conformant EXTF posting batch — one click. The file is generated locally in your WordPress installation; there's no external cloud and no need to share your business data with third parties.
- Choose the period. You select the booking month or accounting period you want to hand over.
- Generate the EXTF posting batch. Sequent assembles the transactions and their fields in the DATEV format and produces the posting-batch file.
- Hand it to the firm. You download the file and submit it — your tax advisor imports it straight into DATEV, no re-keying.
DATEV export & VIES check are Pro features
The EXTF posting-batch export and the automatic VIES VAT-ID check are part of Sequent Pro — no external services, right inside WooCommerce.
Unlock Pro →VIES VAT-ID check as evidence
If you sell to business customers elsewhere in the EU, supplies can be treated as tax-free under certain conditions — as an intra-community supply or under the reverse-charge procedure (§13b UStG). One of the requirements is a valid VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) for the recipient.
Sequent validates this VAT ID automatically against the EU VIES system (VAT Information Exchange System) and logs the result with a timestamp. That gives you the evidence that the number was checked and confirmed at the time of the transaction — exactly the documentation the tax office expects for tax-free treatment.
Important for the tax office. Simply stating a VAT ID is not enough — what counts is the documented qualified confirmation. The logged VIES result with date and time is your robust evidence in the event of an audit.
| Export format | DATEV EXTF posting batch (CSV) |
|---|---|
| Recipient | Your tax advisor (Steuerberater) / DATEV software |
| Generation | One click, locally in WordPress — no external cloud |
| VIES check | Automatic validation of the VAT ID against the EU VIES system |
| Evidence | Logged VIES result with timestamp |
| VIES use case | Intra-community supply & reverse-charge (§13b UStG) |
| Availability | Pro feature |
How Sequent implements it in WooCommerce
- One-click EXTF export: a DATEV-conformant posting batch for the chosen period — no manual re-keying.
- Automatic VIES check of EU VAT IDs (USt-IdNr.) with a logged result and timestamp.
- Evidence for tax-free EU supplies (intra-community / reverse-charge) documented directly.
- Entirely inside your WordPress installation — no external cloud, no data sharing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DATEV EXTF posting batch?
EXTF is DATEV's CSV import format. The posting batch (Buchungsstapel) contains the individual transactions (posting records) for a period, which your tax advisor can import directly into the DATEV software — without manual re-keying.
Does the DATEV export replace my tax advisor?
No. The export prepares your shop's bookkeeping data so your tax advisor (Steuerberater) can import it with one click. The accounting and tax assessment stay with the firm.
What does the VIES VAT-ID check verify?
Sequent automatically validates your business customer's EU VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) against the EU VIES system and logs the result with a timestamp — as evidence for tax-free intra-community or reverse-charge supplies.
Where is the EXTF file generated?
Entirely locally in your WordPress installation. No business data is transferred to an external cloud — you download the finished file and hand it to your firm.