Introduction to SUBMIT DE

The fiskaly SIGN DE x Submission API enables automated electronic transmission of fiscal data to the German tax authorities. It manages taxpayer, establishment, client, and submission information pursuant to the requirements for declaring the use of electronic record-keeping systems under section 146a (4) of the German Tax Code (AO) and section 1.16 of the corresponding AEAO application decree.

What It Does

The Submission API handles:

• Taxpayer management — Create and manage taxpayer records with tax identification numbers
• Establishment registration — Register business establishments for declaration filing
• Client data management — Manage POS client metadata required for submissions
• Electronic submission — File declarations via the ERiC/ELSTER interface
• Validation feedback — Receive internal and external validation results, including ELSTER error messages
• Status tracking — Monitor submissions from creation through acceptance or rejection

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For SIGN DE Customers

Already using fiskaly SIGN DE? Connect your existing TSS data directly to the Submission API for seamless filing.

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For External Customers

Not using SIGN DE? The Submission API works standalone — bring your own fiscal data for ELSTER submission.

How It Works

1. Authenticate with your fiskaly API credentials
2. Create the taxpayer with required identifiers (tax ID, address, responsible person)
3. Register the establishment associated with the taxpayer
4. Configure client data for each POS system being declared
5. Create and submit the declaration to ELSTER
6. Track the result — successful acceptance or detailed error messages for correction

📘Asynchronous processing

Submissions are processed asynchronously via ERiC/ELSTER. After creating a submission, poll the status endpoint to check for acceptance or error details. ELSTER may return multiple validation errors in a single response — see Errors and Status Codes for details.

Who Needs This?

The Submission API is relevant for:

• POS vendors building automated declaration filing into their software for German customers
• Accounting software providers integrating ELSTER submission for their clients
• Enterprises with multiple locations needing centralized tax filing
• Tax advisors managing submissions on behalf of multiple taxpayers

Next Steps

For SIGN DE Customers

Integrate submission with your existing SIGN DE setup

For External Customers

Full integration guide for standalone submission

Submission Files

Example files and payload formats

Error Codes

ELSTER error codes and resolution steps