KNOWLEDGE

GoBD: what applies to digital receipts

GoBD is the German set of principles for properly keeping and storing books in electronic form. At its core: digital receipts must be immutable, traceable and findable.

What the tax office requires

Three things: immutability (a captured receipt must not be secretly altered), traceability (every change is logged) and completeness (no receipt missing, with timestamps).

Can I bin the paper?

Usually yes — if the digital receipt is archived true to the original in image and content, immutable and legible (substitutive scanning). There are exceptions; ask your tax advisor when unsure.

"GoBD-gerecht" vs. "GoBD-konform"

An app can make capture GoBD-gerecht: secure the original, timestamp, change log. Full GoBD conformity covers the whole process including certified long-term archival and process documentation — no single tool does that alone.

What it means in practice

Capture receipts promptly and immutably, never secretly change anything afterwards, keep everything findable. Quitto handles exactly this part: immutable original, timestamp, complete change log.

Quitto captures GoBD-gerecht

Immutable originals, change log, clean export for your tax advisor. Three receipts free.

See Quitto