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Frequently asked questions about the webinar on the reporting obligation in Germany

Thank you for participating in our webinar on the reporting obligation in Germany! Here you will find an overview of the most important questions and answers that were asked during the event. Our goal is to give you a clear insight into the upcoming requirements and practical solutions.

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FAQ´s Webinar June 2025

In the last webinar, you announced that there would be a mass reporting option in MeinElster. What is the current status?
Is it also possible to manually store and report third-party POS systems?
Will there be a mass reporting option?
Is there already experience in reporting test systems? This is not evident from the legal text. What should be considered here?
Can I also enter a PMS that is not managed by efsta in the portal so that it is recorded in a report, or is a second XML file from another provider also possible for this?
From which number of locations is there a reduced price?
Regarding the basic requirements: The archiving feature only works for online customers? Is this automatic reporting service also possible for offline customers? ...and what are the costs?
Is it possible to automatically transfer the eAS data to a new EFR?
The EFR has to be reinstalled for various reasons, and currently all data has to be re-entered.
In the last webinar, you announced that there would be a mass reporting option in MeinElster. What is the current status of this? --> What does 'a little time' mean? Will this function be available by the end of July 2025?
If an end customer changes their company name on August 1st, including a new tax number, can the report also be submitted on August 1st?
Can we please view the registration form in the portal, especially in the event that the location uses a combination of efsta and another provider?
For the TSE report from the weekly email, you need the software ERS, manufacturer ERS and model ERS to register the devices. Can you please confirm where this information can be found?
The first slide contained the information required for the report, and the BMF help provides the same required data. However, the report I saw from our client contains less information, for example, the eAS software is missing. Is this information not mandatory?
Does a monthly sales report not have to be submitted to the tax authorities? Only when we register a new cash register, is that correct? So that means your solution is intended for companies that use a very large number of cash registers.
Does a monthly sales report not have to be submitted to the tax authorities? Only when we register a new cash register, is that correct?
If I understand correctly, the report to the tax authorities is made when a new POS system is opened, right?
Hello, I am now on the efsta portal, but I did not find the 45-euro service in the shopping list. Do we have to request this service individually by email or can it be ordered via the platform?
Does a monthly report on sales not have to be created for the tax authorities?
I have two questions.
First question: We have a business with a POS system, so we need to register. Can we register ourselves?
Second question: Do we have to transmit the data from the POS system to the tax office? And does this have to be done in XML format? Can your services be provided via such a system?
It is not entirely clear which devices have to be registered together with the POS system - PDAs? POS terminals? Cash drawers? Printers?
The report prompts for the entry of the "eAs purchase date". We have many customers who have been using our POS system for over 10 years, and over the years, in some cases, the PCs on which the system is installed have been replaced several times. Should we enter the original purchase date of our POS system in this field – which may be more than 10 years ago – the purchase date of the current PC on which the system is installed, or another date?

FAQ´s Webinar April 2025

From 01/01/2025, the serial numbers of the TSE units in Germany must also be included in the signature. When will this be implemented by efsta?
Does your Simple Bill solution already have ISO certification?
Will there be a charge for using external POS systems?
Do I record a "replacement POS" during the repair of the actual POS as a "third-party POS"? Or does the customer have to make a new notification each time - use of replacement POS and then return with repaired POS?
We currently have MSPOS as the taxpayer. Do we, as the end customer, have to adjust this?
The XML file is only generated when all information is "complete". How can gaps be identified? 170 stores 1 - 12 POS systems per store.
Will the mass notification also work for companies with different operating companies, i.e. tax numbers?
When will the "mass notification" be published?
As far as I have heard, POS systems that you own, which are not in use/inactive, must be functional. This means that the TSE AND POS software must function. As soon as one of the two conditions is not met, the POS is not functional and therefore not subject to mandatory notification. Is that correct?
Does the efsta portal provide feedback on missing / inconsistent master data?
Can multiple email recipients be entered for the download link?
Can the download link be generated again afterwards?
How can the possession of backup POS systems without TSE be reported if the HTM file can only be created if the data is complete?
Hello, does efsta have an official price list (for Germany and Austria) in which all costs are listed?
We currently receive an email EVERY Monday with links from ALL business locations (over 600 links). How can we determine which reportable changes have occurred at these locations compared to the previous week? It is currently incomprehensible that there should be reportable changes in all of our business locations every week.
What does functional POS system mean for backup POS systems in stock? As long as hardware is not provided with the corresponding software, we consider the POS system to be non-functional.
Does this mean that the UAT/TEST/TRAINING system from OPERA Cloud also represents a separate (test) POS system?
In a warehouse there are POS systems from closures - spare parts donors - exchange devices for damage (partially in original packaging). Stock is also held for stores abroad. How does a notification have to be made here?
Do all customers of a POS operator have to register with efsta / Mein Elster or is it sufficient for only the POS operator to register and the notification then runs via the automatic service?
Regarding the recording of the serial number: When using the VM, which serial number can be communicated, as several instances may be running on the hardware?
Is it possible for customers with offline licenses to use the efsta reporting support?
Does the efsta archiving feature mean that the fiscalization data is transferred online to the portal, or is there something else?
I have different S/Ns in the POS system, e.g. the POS system itself, or the hard drive, which one do I have to specify?
Which values should be entered for the attributes serial number, software, manufacturer and model of the eAS if a cash register software is used on a Windows PC? Do I have to provide information about the cash register software or the Windows PC hardware?
Which serial number must / can be recorded: From the storage location of the data or from the recording location (for mobile devices)?
If the TSE simulation was used for testing on a test system, the BSIID field in the fiscal notification remains empty and cannot be written to. This means that the XML can never be completed or downloaded. Would it be possible to make the XML downloadable even if it is incomplete for POS systems marked as test systems?
Under which selector in efsta are individual POS systems recorded? Where can I find instructions on this?
Can I create multiple Elster contacts?
Regarding the locations: How should the following example be handled: A server PC, i.e. an EFR installation but several campsites within one software, i.e. there is a cash register for each campsite, but it runs via the same UID (company) via the same EFR service, in one software. Should the campsites be considered as separate locations or the same location with several cash registers?
Do I also have to report POS systems in a foreign branch?
Will the recording of the meeting be made available to the participants afterwards?
Is this something that can be done entirely from the efsta portal by downloading XML from efsta and manually uploading it to meinELSTER by the taxable customer, without requiring integration with the POS system to send this data?
Creation of locations in the efsta portal:
At the moment, we add the location data directly via the API access to the portal. Could we also create the location via the EFR, i.e. we add the location data such as address etc. in the EFR during EFR activation, and that would then create the location data in the portal), now it is only linked via the location field.
How does the reporting work when a POS system is added to or removed from a location, e.g. if we have three POS systems at one location and remove one of them - the XML file still contains all POS systems if I'm not mistaken?
If the company uses a completely cashless environment, i.e., only bank cards/credit cards, no cash transactions, are TSE and the corresponding messages still required?
If customers switched from efsta to another solution in the first half of 2025, i.e., between the beginning of 2025 and July 2025, and deactivated the efsta EFR to switch to another solution, are they also obliged to submit the Elster report, or are these covered by your new solution?
If customers switched from efsta to another solution in the first half of 2025, i.e., between the beginning of 2025 and July 2025, and deactivated the efsta EFR to switch to another solution, are they also obliged to submit the Elster report, or are these covered by your new solution?

FAQ´s Webinar December 2024

Does this not apply to systems that are in stock at retailers? (Reporting obligation for unproductive POS systems)
Does it concern test systems that are used for employee training and testing of setting options?
Is the default of the Elster contact empty? We want to avoid customers receiving emails if not all data has been entered correctly yet.
What is the reporting procedure in the case of an offline license? Or in the case of an offline POS system?
Before we have checked and supplemented all the data, does sending the XML file from January 13th make sense?
Is it possible to generate XML on request? Via the efsta portal? Or is the only way to receive it by email?
Will an API method be provided that makes it possible to store the button for manual generation of the XML in the UI, so that every customer can also become active themselves?
Do you know if a mass registration of all business premises is planned, similar to the summary report?
Mass data maintenance possible in the future?
Creation of the report
Download the XML
Currently always individually per location and a 3-stage process
Download message
Acknowledge disclaimer every time
Create message
Download message
Idea: Multiple selection/preselection
There was also talk with the BSI of an interface to Elster, is this still planned or will this always remain a manual upload?
How can we record the contact details for companies with multiple locations, each with different tax numbers, in the "Elster Report" if the system only allows the entry of a single tax number? (The locations are all assigned to one company.)
We currently operate around 1000 POS systems and have a reserve pool of around 30 systems that are personalized as needed. The question we have is: How many days after the POS systems are delivered to our premises must they be put into operation on the software side at the latest? As these are replacement systems and we operate several companies and sales locations, the final destination of the POS systems is not yet known at the time of delivery.
Can the notification also be made without a TSE?
Is it possible to use the email addresses for invoicing as Elster contact details?
The initial XML message for each place of business reports the history of the last 5 years. What does a change message look like then (e.g. change of a TSE)? Is only the change contained in the XML then?
Is it possible for the emails to the end customer to be sent to the supervising dealer in CC?
Is there a way to export the stored TSE data from the EFR into a file for offline POS systems in order to avoid typing errors?
Test systems are subject to registration - how does this work internally for us? We sometimes have our program on the computer, etc.?
We use Cloud-TSE and have no physical terminals - does this section need to be completed?
Is there an efsta portal API endpoint for filling in terminal and taxable customer data?
You mentioned that the deadline for reporting existing registers is 17.03.25, is that correct? Do previously closed locations also have to be reported?
If this were legally feasible, do you plan to automatically upload XML files from cash registers to the MeinElster portal in the future?
Do you already have preliminary dates for the webinars mentioned in 2025?
So, if I replace a cash register in one of our hotels, I have 30 days to report the new cash register's data?

FAQ´s Webinar November 2024

How can the data from the POS systems be contained in the same XML file as that from the PMS if a different provider is used?
What counts as a new system? A physically new POS or also a repair of the POS (reinstallation) with a new EFR module number but an identical TSE certificate?
How does efsta determine the serial number of the POS or the TSE - TSE = EFR number or TSE number?
Test systems are located in Denmark in a company that does not have Elster access - how should we report these?
How is the notification made if a taxpayer operates several business premises / locations under one tax number? Multiple reports in several XML files or several business premises in one file? How are the business premises distinguished in the XML file?
Do the data have to be uploaded to ELSTER regularly? Or is the initial upload sufficient?
In variant 2, you recommend that the taxable customer has access to the portal. Is this still recommended if the organization has >X customers?
Can the user rights be restricted to such an extent that the customer only has access to the XML file?
Can we have an example of the email with XML? With several hundred POS systems per taxpayer, it must be possible to assign the XML to the location without going into the XML.
Since when has the communication regarding serial number, SW version, etc. between the POS and the EFR module been part of the interface definition?
Shared ihr das slide deck mit uns?
When exporting for several companies in csv - are the Austrian companies filtered out? Because we do not need the information in this form for them.
What is meant by "serial number of the POS" which data is requested and expected here?
Can the XML file from EFSTA be customized and then uploaded to Mein Elster?
We have new software versions approximately every two months; does this also require a notification?
If the POS data can be entered manually in ELSTER, is filling out the data in the "Terminal" tab in the efsta portal optional?
What is the "Comet" group that you are in? Is there more information available?
In the ElsterData CSV file for checking, does something have to be in every column for it to work, or are there only certain mandatory fields?
Does this mean that, if I have understood the future procedure correctly, the email addresses we have defined per location will receive an email with XML when a POS system is commissioned or decommissioned? And then the Elster notification can be made?
1. Does the data in the CSV file from the download correspond to the final export in the XML file?
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2. Are the designations Pos Software and Pos Model the same as "XXX Server", no version number needed? The DE_SW_Version is apparently not exported?

3. Is Pos Manufacturer "Software Server" sufficient? Shouldn't the software manufacturer be listed there?

4. Is a new EFR required at the customer's site for the POS notification from January?
"All electronic recording systems of a business location" - so does each market have to do this individually, or one file for all markets from the company?
We buy regular computers and then use cloud-based POS system software on them. Of course, we have some spare devices in stock. These would only be subject to notification when the TSE is purchased (in this case, e.g. Fiskaly), as it is not directly a finished POS system with an integrated security device?
The presentation mentioned that the number of devices connected to the POS system must be reported.
Especially with systems with mobile devices, this number can change regularly. Are "registration updates" necessary every few weeks or is this even planned?
The special characters are displayed as ? in the portal - how will they be handled when exporting to MyElster?
Do sub-suppliers who buy the POS systems from the manufacturer and then resell them to the markets also have to report the number of POS systems?
Which data should we primarily check in the first step? Is it about the data under Company-Properties-Details? Do I understand correctly that the customer receives the link to the XML export to the email address entered under "Elster Report"?
In our setup, the POS system is completely in the cloud and the end devices at the customer's site are merely input devices. Is the number of POS systems then 1?
If the PMS and the POS systems are currently organised under different companies in the portal, but ultimately belong to the same company, how can 1 XML file be created per location?
The terminal data is not visible in the portal, but is sent from the POS via the EFR. Why is it not visible in the portal?
How often do the XML files have to be transmitted? Monthly or only when there are changes to the terminals?
Which terminal/branch position is required on the terminal part? Are they branch numbers/addresses or should it be consecutive, e.g. 1/2/3 etc.?
What happens if we perform a software update, e.g. from version 2.1 to version 2.2? Do we then have to update the XML file for each customer? The same question arises for new/replaced devices.
Is there no way to connect to MeinElster and send it directly?
Will customers be informed of these deadlines by the tax authorities?
In the presentation, the deadline varied between 31.07 and 30.06. Which one is correct?
Where can we find this presentation and the Q&A section?
Just for clarification: Will a step-by-step guide for the process of exporting the required information from the EFSTA portal be provided?
Migration from USB TSE to Cloud TSE – Some customers are still using USB TSE. I assume that a migration to the cloud is recommended. Would the data on the USB stick be migrated and transferred to the cloud?
Are we facing a fine if all this information is not completed by 1.1.2025, or do we have until June 2025 to complete everything?
XML file upload – If the XML file is automatically uploaded by efsta, this is not possible if PMS uses a different financial system and leads to a manual update. Would the customer have to upload the file manually in this case?
Where can we find the contact details of the Partner Manager?

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