DATEV Automation: Accounting Workflows with Make.com and n8n

DATEV is the backbone of German accounting. Over 2.5 million businesses use DATEV software. Yet many processes around DATEV still run manually: receipts are sent by email, data is transferred by hand, and invoices are captured one by one. In this guide, we'll show you how to automate DATEV processes.

The Challenge: DATEV and Automation

The Problem:

DATEV is a closed system. There's no public REST API like modern SaaS tools offer. This makes direct integrations difficult.

The Solution:

There are several ways to automate DATEV nonetheless:

DATEV Unternehmen Online - Web portal with upload capabilities

DATEV Interfaces - Standardized formats (DATEV CSV, XML)

DATEVconnect - Partner API (for certified providers)

Middleware Solutions - GetMyInvoices, Candis, etc.

Automation Possibilities Overview

Workflow 1: Automatic Receipt Capture

The Goal

Automatically capture incoming invoices and transfer them to DATEV.

The Workflow

Email with invoice
        |
    OCR Extraction
    (GetMyInvoices/Candis)
        |
    AI Categorization
        |
    Create DATEV format
        |
    Upload DATEV Unternehmen Online
        |
    Notify accountant

Implementation with n8n

Step 1: Email Trigger

Node: IMAP Email Trigger
Mailbox: invoices@company.com
Attachments: download

Step 2: OCR Processing

Node: HTTP Request
URL: GetMyInvoices or Mindee API
Method: POST
Body: PDF attachment

Step 3: Validate Data

Node: IF
Condition: Required fields present?
Yes: continue
No: send for manual review

Step 4: Create DATEV Format

Node: Code (JavaScript)
// Create DATEV CSV line
const datevLine = {
  amount: item.amount,
  debitCredit: 'D',
  debitAccount: item.costCenter || '4400',
  creditAccount: item.creditor || '70000',
  documentDate: formatDate(item.date),
  documentField1: item.invoiceNumber,
  bookingText: item.vendor
};
return datevLine;

Step 5: Upload

Node: HTTP Request
DATEV Unternehmen Online API
Or: Google Drive/Dropbox as intermediate storage

Alternative: Use Middleware

Instead of building yourself, you can integrate middleware solutions:

n8n Workflow with GetMyInvoices:

GetMyInvoices Webhook (new invoice)
        |
    Fetch data
        |
    Create booking suggestion
        |
    Slack: Request approval
        |
    On approval: DATEV export

Workflow 2: Personio to DATEV Payroll

The Goal

Automatically transfer personnel master data and changes to DATEV LODAS.

The Challenge

DATEV LODAS (payroll) has no direct API. The path goes through:

• DATEV personnel master data format
• DATEV Unternehmen Online upload
• Or: DATEV-certified HR software

Implementation

Option A: Direct Integration (Personio DATEV Connector)

Personio offers a native DATEV export:

Personio -> Settings -> Integrations -> DATEV

Configure automatic export

Accountant receives data in DATEV format

Option B: Custom Workflow (n8n/Make)

Personio (Master data change)
        |
    Transform data
    (DATEV format)
        |
    Create CSV/XML
        |
    Upload to DATEV Unternehmen Online
    (or email to accountant)

n8n Nodes:

Personio -> Watch Employees

Code -> Create DATEV LODAS format

FTP/SFTP -> Upload to accountant

DATEV LODAS Export Format

"EmployeeNumber";"LastName";"FirstName";"StartDate";"EndDate";"TaxClass"
"001";"Smith";"John";"01.01.2024";"";"1"
"002";"Johnson";"Anna";"15.03.2024";"";"4"

Workflow 3: Shopify/WooCommerce to DATEV

The Goal

Automatically capture e-commerce transactions for accounting.

The Workflow

Shopify (New order)
        |
    Extract invoice data
        |
    Create DATEV booking entry
        |
    Collect daily batch
        |
    Evening: DATEV export

Implementation with Make.com

Scenario 1: Individual Bookings

Trigger: Shopify -> New Order

Transform: Data to DATEV format

Store: Google Sheets (as intermediate storage)

Scheduled: Daily at 8 PM -> Create DATEV CSV -> Upload

Scenario 2: Batch Processing

Schedule Trigger (daily 8 PM)
        |
    Shopify: Get Orders (today)
        |
    Iterator: For each order
        |
    Create DATEV line
        |
    Aggregator: Collect all lines
        |
    Create CSV
        |
    Email to accountant

DATEV Booking Entry for E-Commerce

Workflow 4: Automatically Categorize Bank Transactions

The Goal

Automatically assign bank transactions to booking accounts.

The Workflow

Bank API (new transactions)
        |
    AI categorization
    (based on reference)
        |
    Create booking suggestion
        |
    Submit for approval
        |
    DATEV export

Implementation with n8n

Bank Integration:

• finAPI (aggregator for German banks)
• Or: CSV import from bank

AI Categorization:

// Use OpenAI for categorization
const prompt = 

Categorize this bank transaction:
Amount: ${item.amount} EUR
Reference: ${item.reference}
Recipient: ${item.creditor}

Possible categories:
4400 Office supplies
4500 Vehicle costs
4600 Advertising costs
4900 Other costs

Reply only with the account number.
;

Understanding DATEV Formats

DATEV CSV (Booking Batch)

The standard format for bookings:

"Amount";"Debit/Credit";"Account";"Counter Account";"Tax Key";"Document Date";"Document Field 1";"Booking Text"
119.00;"D";1200;8400;3;"1501";"RE-001";"Product sale"

Important Fields:

DATEV XML (ASCII)

For more complex data (with header):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LedgerImport>
  <Header>
    <DataCategory>21</DataCategory>
    <FormatName>BookingBatch</FormatName>
  </Header>
  <Document>
    <!-- Bookings -->
  </Document>
</LedgerImport>

Best Practices for DATEV Automation

1. Involve Your Accountant

• Coordinate on chart of accounts
• Define validation rules
• Test phase with feedback

2. Error Handling

• Flag unclear bookings for review
• Daily report on issues
• Quarantine for faulty receipts

3. Consider Compliance

• GoBD-compliant archiving (German regulations)
• Immutability after booking
• Audit-proof logging

4. Introduce Gradually

Month 1: Receipt capture only

Month 2: + Booking suggestions

Month 3: + Automatic booking

Costs and ROI

Typical Costs

Typical Savings

At 50 EUR/hour = 1,575 EUR/month in savings

Conclusion

DATEV automation is possible - even without an official API. The key lies in:

Right Interfaces: DATEV formats, middleware, Unternehmen Online

Gradual Approach: Start small, then expand

Accountant Involvement: Define processes together

Next Steps

Analysis: Which DATEV processes are most time-consuming?

Pilot Project: Automate one workflow (e.g., receipt capture)

Scaling: Connect additional processes

We support you with DATEV automation - from concept to implementation.