With the DATEV format, additional options become available that make the batches DATEV-compliant, store your tax advisor's DATEV master data, define the repository structure for DATEV receipt transfer and optionally activate the direct upload into the DATEV cloud. All options are located in the General tab of the basic settings.

With the Datev XML interface with receipts checkbox, ZEP creates booking batches in DATEV EXTF format. The EXTF package is an extended CSV batch with an additional header record that DATEV Unternehmen online and DATEV Rechnungswesen software can import directly. With the Datev XML interface with receipts active, additional required fields appear that are necessary for a DATEV-compliant batch.

As soon as the Datev XML interface with receipts is active, the DATEV master data fields of your tax advisor or in-house accounting appear.

Under Consultant number enter the DATEV consultant number of your tax advisor. Under Client enter the assigned client number. You receive both values from your tax advisor or accounting department.

Under SKR store the DATEV chart of accounts (e.g. 03 for SKR 03 or 04 for SKR 04). The default is 03. The chart of accounts determines which account numbers are valid in your accounting system.

Under Business year start choose the month in which the business year begins (default January). DATEV uses this date to assign bookings to the correct business year.

Under Account number length enter the number of digits used for your accounts in DATEV (default 4). ZEP aligns the length of the exported accounts to this value.

With the Datev XML interface with receipts active, you define under Repository structure the folder hierarchy in which ZEP organizes invoice and receipt files in the DATEV repository. Three levels are available per data type:

Variables like %YYYY% (year) and %MM% (month) are replaced at runtime with the date of the respective booking. This produces dedicated folders per month and year in the DATEV repository.

With the DATEV Online checkbox you link your ZEP account with your DATEV Unternehmen online account. The prerequisite is an active DATEV Online license, which is automatically included in ZEP Professional.

Under Export for Accounting > DATEV uploads you see an overview of all previous uploads to the DATEV cloud. Per upload, ZEP shows the timestamp, type (invoices / cost reports / master data), the number of contained bookings and the result (successful, failed, test mode). This way you can trace what has been transferred to DATEV.

In the General tab of the basic settings, three additional DATEV checkboxes are available once the DATEV format is selected:

With the Invoice export with performance date checkbox active, ZEP additionally exports the performance date alongside the invoice date, which is relevant for VAT. In the filter form of Exporting Invoices, the Invoice or performance date selection then appears, allowing you to choose which date drives the period filter.

With the DATEV export with finalization checkbox active, the exported bookings go directly into the DATEV finalization (default active). DATEV then prevents later changes to the bookings, which secures GoBD compliance. Switch off finalization only if your accounting team explicitly needs to be able to change bookings in DATEV.

With the DATEV export with receipt link checkbox active (only without the Datev XML interface with receipts), ZEP writes the receipt number into field 20 of each booking so that DATEV can link the associated receipt file. The prerequisite is that the receipt files are uploaded separately via the DATEV Online connection or shipped with the ZIP option.