Creating ZUGFeRD descriptors with C# / .net

November 4, 2013, with 5 comments
by admin

I recently came across a nice initiative from German government and other (semi-)state organizations for developing a standard for electronic invoices. It uses PDF/A-3 as a basis. In the PDF file, an XML file is embedded which serves as a descriptor of the PDF file. It contains information about buyer, seller, invoice header information as well as line items.

The descriptor uses existing mechanisms from e.g. UN/CEFACT. It is still developing, e.g. there are plans to extend it to Europe.

You can find more information here:

http://www.ferd-net.de/

The ZUGFeRD initiative delivers a set of sample files along with schema files and schema documentation. Unfortunately, there is no source code for creating ZUGFeRD compliant invoices.

So I decided to create such a library as a C# .net assembly:

https://github.com/stephanstapel/ZUGFeRD-csharp

This component is writting in C# but allows you to create ZUGFeRD compliant XML files using any .net language.

Update (2013-11-17):
ZUGFeRD library is now also available on nuget for plugging it in easily into your .net projects:

https://www.nuget.org/packages/ZUGFeRD-csharp/1.0.0

It is not yet complete as it does not support the following yet (in order of my personal priority):

• some enums are still passed as strings
• parse (load) existing ZUGFeRD file
• support the three ZUGFeRD profiles
• write line items

Please feel free to fork the code and issue pull requests.

The actual usage is not dead simple as a generic invoice structure itself is somewhat complicated. The library comes with a sample application which creates the same invoice file as shipping with the ZUGFeRD information package found on the initiative’s website:

InvoiceDescriptor desc = InvoiceDescriptor.CreateInvoice("471102", new DateTime(2013, 6, 5), CurrencyCodes.EUR, "GE2020211-471102");
desc.Profile = Profile.Comfort;
desc.ReferenceOrderNo = "AB-312";
desc.AddNote("Rechnung gemäß Bestellung Nr. 2013-471331 vom 01.03.2013.");
desc.AddNote("Es bestehen Rabatt- und Bonusvereinbarungen.", "AAK");
desc.SetBuyer("Kunden Mitte AG", "69876", "Frankfurt", "Kundenstraße", "15", "DE", "88", "4000001987658");
desc.AddBuyerTaxRegistration("DE234567890", "VA");
desc.SetBuyerContact("Hans Muster");
desc.SetSeller("Lieferant GmbH", "80333", "München", "Lieferantenstraße", "20", "DE", "88", "4000001123452");
desc.AddSellerTaxRegistration("201/113/40209", "FC");
desc.AddSellerTaxRegistration("DE123456789", "VA");
desc.SetBuyerOrderReferenceDocument("2013-471331", new DateTime(2013, 03, 01));
desc.SetDeliveryNoteReferenceDocument("2013-51111", new DateTime(2013, 6, 3));
desc.ActualDeliveryDate = new DateTime(2013, 6, 3);
desc.SetTotals(202.76m, 5.80m, 14.73m, 193.83m, 21.31m, 215.14m, 50.0m, 165.14m);
desc.AddApplicableTradeTax(9.06m, 129.37m, 7m, "VAT", "S");
desc.AddApplicableTradeTax(12.25m, 64.46m, 19m, "VAT", "S");
desc.SetLogisticsServiceCharge(5.80m, "Versandkosten", "VAT", "S", 7m);
desc.setTradePaymentTerms("Zahlbar innerhalb 30 Tagen netto bis 04.07.2013, 3% Skonto innerhalb 10 Tagen bis 15.06.2013", new DateTime(2013, 07, 04));

desc.Save("output.xml");

Please also see for an update of the library here.

Aktualisiert am December 15, 2013