Can I write an invoice in English if I am based in Germany?

Yes. German tax law does not require invoices to be in German. You can invoice foreign clients in English. All the required fields (your details, client details, amounts) can be in English. For legal notes like reverse charge, adding the German phrase alongside the English is the safest approach.

Do I need to translate my invoice for the Finanzamt?

Not usually. If the tax office asks during an audit, you might need to provide a translation. But for everyday invoicing, English is fine. Many freelancers add bilingual notes for key phrases just to be safe.

How do I write the reverse charge note in English?

Use: "Reverse charge: VAT to be accounted for by the recipient." Include the German version too: "Steuerschuldnerschaft des Leistungsempfängers." Both on the same invoice covers all bases.

Can I write a German invoice in English?

Q: How do I write the Kleinunternehmer note in English?

Use: "No VAT charged (small business exemption, §19 UStG)." Include the German: "Gemäß §19 UStG wird keine Umsatzsteuer berechnet." Your client understands it, and the tax office sees the official wording.

You are a freelancer in Germany. Your client is in Amsterdam, or London, or New York. Writing the invoice in English makes sense. But German tax rules apply to you. So: is an English invoice actually allowed?

Yes. German tax law cares about what is on the invoice, not what language it is in. A few things need extra care, though, especially the legal notes. This article gives you the exact wording you can copy and paste.

Short answer

Write your invoice in English. Include all the usual fields (your name, client name, what you did, how much). For legal notes like reverse charge or Kleinunternehmer, put both the German original and an English translation. That way your client understands it, and the tax office has no questions.

What the tax office actually needs

German invoices need certain information. The law does not say it has to be in German. Here is what every invoice needs:

Your name and address
Your client's name and address
Your tax number (Steuernummer or USt-IdNr)
Invoice number (unique, like INV-2026-042)
Invoice date
What you did and when
The amount (with or without VAT, depending on your situation)

All of this can be in English. "Website design, April 2026" is just as valid as "Webdesign, April 2026".

If you get audited: The tax office might ask for a German translation of specific documents. This is rare for normal freelance invoices, but it can happen. Keeping bilingual notes on the invoice itself usually prevents this.

Example: invoicing an agency in the Netherlands

Say you are a designer in Berlin. A creative agency in Amsterdam hires you for a logo project. Here is what that invoice might look like:

INVOICE INV-2026-042

From: Anna Müller, Prenzlauer Allee 123, 10405 Berlin
Tax number: 12/345/67890
VAT ID: DE123456789

To: Creative Studio BV, Herengracht 100, 1015 BS Amsterdam
VAT ID: NL123456789B01

Date: 27 April 2026
Service date: April 2026

Description: Logo design and brand guidelines
Amount: €2,400.00

VAT: Reverse charge applies
Steuerschuldnerschaft des Leistungsempfängers
(Reverse charge: VAT to be accounted for by the recipient)

Total due: €2,400.00

The invoice is in English. The description is in English. The only German is the tax note, and even that has an English explanation next to it.

The legal notes you might need

Two situations need specific wording: reverse charge (EU business clients) and Kleinunternehmer (small business exemption). Here is the exact text to use.

Reverse charge (EU business clients)

When your client is a business in another EU country, you do not charge VAT. Instead, they handle it in their own country. Your invoice needs a note explaining this.

Copy this onto your invoice:

Steuerschuldnerschaft des Leistungsempfängers

Reverse charge: VAT to be accounted for by the recipient

Your client sees the English and knows what is going on. The tax office sees the German and knows you followed the rules.

Important: Your invoice also needs your client's VAT ID (starts with their country code, like NL for Netherlands or FR for France). Without it, reverse charge does not apply, and you might owe the VAT yourself.

Kleinunternehmer (small business exemption)

If you are a Kleinunternehmer, you do not charge VAT at all. Your invoice needs to explain why there is no VAT line.

Copy this onto your invoice:

Gemäß §19 UStG wird keine Umsatzsteuer berechnet.

No VAT charged (small business exemption, §19 UStG)

This works for any client, German or international. The German satisfies the legal requirement. The English helps your foreign client understand why there is no VAT.

Can I invoice in dollars or pounds?

Yes. You can use any currency. If you invoice a US client in USD, that is fine. Just keep a record of the exchange rate you used, because your German tax return is in euros.

Example: You invoice $3,000 on 15 April. The EUR/USD rate that day is 1.08. You record €2,778 in your books. Keep a note of where you got the rate (your bank, ECB, xe.com).

Invoicing in EUR is simpler for your bookkeeping. Your client does the conversion on their end.

What about e-invoices?

The e-invoice rules apply to business invoices within Germany. For clients outside Germany, a normal PDF is fine. Language does not matter either way.

Official wording

"Eine Rechnung muss folgende Angaben enthalten [...]"

— §14 (4) UStG

The law lists what must be on an invoice: names, addresses, tax numbers, amounts, descriptions. It does not say "in German". Completeness is the requirement, not language.

What this means for you

Invoice your international clients in English. Include all the standard fields. For legal notes, put both languages on the invoice. That covers the tax office and helps your client understand what they are paying.

The right invoicing tool does this automatically: it detects when reverse charge applies, adds the bilingual note, and keeps everything compliant. You just fill in the project details.