Export for accounting in xentral provides the following interfaces for exporting accounting data:
DATEV
SAGE - the helpdesk entry is located under SAGE Accounting Export.
BMD - the helpdesk entry is located under BMD Accounting Export.
This page describes the export to DATEV, which virtually sets the industry standard in Germany.
This module is especially relevant when accounting data is to be exported. You can find the module under Accounting > Financial accounting export.
Note
Starting with Xentral version 22.1.x, Datev no longer downloads the export directly, but prepares it in the background to conserve performance. After clicking on Export in the Datev Company Online (Beta) area, the message Export... appears. After a certain waiting time - this depends on the number of receipts - a link for direct download appears. The ZIP files created in this way contain a maximum of 100 receipts. For example, if 150 receipts are exported, two ZIP files will be created (one with 100 and one with 50 receipts).
Various files can be exported for external accounting programs:
Invoices and credit notes (or cancellation invoices)
Liabilities
Accounts (bank accounts, cash book entries)
Address data / account labels (debtors/creditors)
For the export to Datev the following must be done:
Enter consultant number and client number in xentral (will be written into the file and evaluated by Datev)
Set export check mark and drag the file
In order to complete some bookings in DATEV automatically in advance, it is necessary to load the data from DATEV Enterprise Online as DATEV Connect Online before importing it. DATEV Connect Online are the account transactions in DATEV. If you actively use the incoming payments, you can download this data directly from Xentral and import it to DATEV Accounting.
This step is necessary in spite of active matching in incoming payments, because the data from Unternehmen Online or Connect Online only contain invoice data.
For the new Datev export (from 2018), a consultant and client number can be assigned. The assignment can also take place on project level. In the attached example, the consultant and client number is to be considered globally system-wide. In the Financial accounting export module you can create a new entry under Settings by clicking the button +Create new entry.
A dialog box then opens in which the necessary information can be entered. These are:
Consultant number: Enter consultant number. This is then generated within the export file
Client number: Enter client number. This will then be generated within the export file
Project: Optional. Only to be used when exporting by project and a separate client and consultant number is to be used for each project
Payment method in Datev: Optional. Field 1 designates the address of the customer → Other data the free field 1. Only to be used if the payment method with number of days until due date and given discount is to be transferred to Datev in the customer master data
Fiscal year: Start of the business year in the format TTMM - Examples: 0101 for January 1 or 0104 for April 1
G/L account length: Enter here the length of the G/L account you need (ask your tax advisor if necessary). This will then be generated in the export file
Subsequently, the input is to be saved. Example of the display in Datev (as of 02/2018):
Consultant number: 33333
Client number: 10000
It is also possible to post 6-digit G/L accounts or to work with 7-digit vendor or customer numbers. For this purpose, the customer and supplier number ranges can be changed accordingly in the basic settings (Administration > Settings > System > Basic settings > Settings > Number ranges) or per project.
The Datev accounts can then be set during export, so that Datev gets this info in the file header (Accounting → Financial accounting export → Settings).
Otherwise, the Datev accounts can be directly maintained with 6 digits in xentral (Administration > Settings > Accounting > Account frame).
It should be noted that accounts are not automatically preassigned with the control field with a key during export. The control key is always entered directly before the account assignment in xentral.
Here is the possibility:
Take the control key in the front with it/tap to it
In the chart of accounts, additionally create and textually designate the most important liability accounts with control key
When assigning the liabilities to an account, the tax code must also be specified. The field for the tax rate does not convert to the tax key for Datev.
With the Datev export (CSV) the liability then comes along in 2 split postings.
At „Datev Unternehmen Online“, you will then receive the account assignments for the liabilities export in the XML: once with tax key, once without.
Under the Export tab in the Settings section, the required settings for the export can be made.
Invoices/Credit Memos:
Fill document field1 at bank statement export with invoice number if possible (Datev finds the pairs and it facilitates the assignment for the tax office)
Add Internet and transaction number to document field1 for invoice and credit memo (only check here if absolutely required)
Liabilities:
Liability selection by date of receipt or invoice dates (for the entered period, only the liabilities with date of receipt or invoice that fall within this period will be exported)
Datev:
-
Also export receipts with amount = 0 EUR (general setting, in case of mixed tax rates, the invoice amounts are exported individually line by line)
Note
This option is only intended for CSV export, i.e the export options on the left. It can't be used for DATEV Company Online on the bottom left.
Receipts are only exported if they contain items!
New Datev format (from 2018)
New Datev format (insert test entry) (Important → otherwise everything will be immediately fixed in Datev during import)
Extended booking codes (allows to export 3-4 digit booking codes)
Selecting this option causes the accounts to be split. On the basis of the G/L account length or the specification of the corresponding accounts, a new column with the split part is then created in the output. E.g. account number 2250880, G/L account length → 4, specification "BU key" → 225
Internet, transaction number in XML for Datev Unternehmen Online (transmits the online shop or Paypal identifiers to Datev)
Payment methods/tax rates:
Select if this additional information is to be exported
With Datev Unternehmen Online, invoices, credit notes and payables can be transferred to the accounting department as PDF documents. For invoices, the vouchers generated by xentral are used. For payables, those uploaded to the Payables module are used. For the DATEV Unternehmen Online setting, the preliminary account assignment of the payables (in the Pre-Accounting tab) must be completely finished before the transfer can take place. In the Pre-Accounting tab it is also possible to split accounts. Specifying a G/L account/counter account (field "G/L account" in the payables document, first tab) is not sufficient for this.
All documents of this type that are in xentral can be exported, unless they are still in draft mode. xentral offers an extended export option for Datev Unternehmen Online. With this, vouchers of the outgoing invoices, credit notes and incoming invoices (payables) can be exported as a ZIP file.
The maximum size of files that can be transferred from xentral to DATEV must be observed. However, this maximum will not be exceeded, since the access key to DATEV is only open for a certain number of files:
Maximum size of the ZIP file is 465MB
Maximum size of a file inside the ZIP file is 20MB
Maximum number of files within one ZIP file is 5000
Note
If certain time periods are exceeded, the data will be transferred bluntly. i.e. the data is transferred twice without a check for possible duplication.
Document: Invoices, credit notes or payables can be selected in the dropdown. The supplier invoice must be uploaded at the liability so that it can be available for export. In addition, an expense account must be entered for the payables in the case of initial account assignment. It is mandatory to fill in the "Currency" field under the "Payables" module, otherwise the Datev tool will not accept the data
Project: This allows export reports to be output sorted by project. The project can be selected via the search field. If the field is left empty, all projects will be exported
From/to: Here you can select the date range of the export (document date)
The ZIP files can be transferred to the Datev data center using Datev voucher transfer. (The software Belegtransfer can be downloaded from Datev free of charge).
Directory type: Please make sure in the document transfer that the directory type is not selected to "Standard", but "DATEV XML interface online"
Occupancy type: "Without occupancy type" must be selected for occupancy type
Note
Only pre-assigned postings are accepted in DATEV. In order to check whether all liabilities have a pre-accounting, the filter "missing account assignment" can be activated in the liabilities.
The import of accounting data to Datev is done in "Datev format". Before importing the .csv file, the following settings should be made in xentral for creating the export file:
The client and consultant number must be created in xentral beforehand, this will be transferred to the xentral export file. Only then this file can be imported to Datev (→if these numbers do not match the created client in Datev, an error message will appear during the import in Datev)
When exporting files, select the following setting: New Datev format (from 2018)
Export the xentral file and save it in a new folder on the desktop. Then open the accounting in Datev and import the file: Import file: Inventory → Import → Batch
Stock
Import
Batch processing

A new window will appear where the file can be selected:
Select Datev format
Click Import (another window will open)
Icon for folder selection:
Click icon (to select folder and file; another window will open)
Select folder:
Select the folder where the xentral file is located (click folder + click OK)
Select file:
Now select the correct file (click → if you have only one file in your folder, only this one will be displayed; see example) and click "Import"
Then click on "Process".

ATTENTION FIXED: The file will now be processed. If there is no error log, the data will be immediately fixed in Datev. If there is an error e.g. a posting with 0 EUR in the list, an error log is created and the data can still be edited in the posting run.
Note
ASCII import is no longer supported in Datev as of 2018 and will be completely replaced by Datev format. The xentral file can be imported via the ASCII import. The following steps are necessary for this:
Create format template and save settings, create format template at the right place depending on the data type (transaction data (invoices and credit notes) or master data (customer/vendor labels).
Create new format
For invoices a format in the area of transaction data
For address labels a format in the master data area
-
Create new format in the transaction data: Transaction data → Financial accounting → Posting batch
-
Create new format in master data: Master data → Accounts receivable/payable
-
The settings are to be made as shown in the picture. Particular attention should be paid to the first data line. If this is not a label line, the import is already carried out from line 1. Otherwise, the first entry is possibly used as a label and cut away. This should be checked again during the import in the preview.
Field selection → Depending on the type, define the field selection
For invoices the field selection
For address labels the field selection
-
Field selection in the transaction data: Transaction data → Financial accounting → Posting batch
-
Field selection in the master data: Master data → Accounts receivable/payable
-
Field Formats → Check Field Formats and save the template. Attached is the example for the transaction data (invoices and credit notes):
For the export, the fix-write indicator can be taken over as well. The ASCII file can then be read directly into Datev without the run being immediately committed and closed. The notes in Datev should be noted: the firm write indicator is stored in Datev for this posting run as information. To do this, the Datev Comp Mode (GoBD Fixed Write Indicator) checkbox must be set on the right side in the Datev area in the Financial Accounting Export module.
The setting of export accounts can be done directly from the Export tab in the Settings section.
On the left side you can export the documents invoices and credit notes and the corresponding revenue accounts.
Sorted by: Date or document number
Grouped by: Account or positions
Project: Do not fill in (only needed for multi-client or separate accounting)
From to: Select date range (avoid overlaps with the last exported range!). Accounting programs usually do not recognize overlaps → double import) Recommendation: always select fixed time ranges here e.g. whole months
Export: Export the invoices or credit note
Label fields: The following fields are available for export:
Date
Amount
Account/Kd-No
Document field 1
Posting text
Country
Ust-Id
Contra account
Currency
Delivery date
Total purchase price
Currency (EK)
Export file example
"date"; "amount"; "account/customer number"; "voucher field1"; "posting text"; "country"; "ustid"; "contra account"; "currency".
You can also export your liabilities on the left side.
Project: Optional and is left blank by default
From to: Select date range (avoid overlaps with the last exported range!). Accounting programs usually do not recognize overlaps → double import) Recommendation: always select fixed time ranges here e.g. whole months
Export: Export the invoices or credit note
Label fields
The following fields are available for export: 1. date, 2. amount, 3. account/vendor no., 4. document field 1, 5. posting text, 6. country, 7. tax id, 8. contra account, 9. currency.
Note
If no invoice and receipt date is entered when creating a liability, the fields will be automatically filled with the current date.
Export file
"date"; "amount"; "account/supplier number"; "voucher field1"; "posting text"; "country"; "ustid"; "contra account"; "currency".
For the date, first the date of receipt is taken from the liability. If this is empty, the invoice date of the liability is taken
A different billing address will also be exported
Liabilities cancelled in xentral are not exported
The last option on the left is for exporting accounting accounts.
Account: Select between "All accounts", "Manual posting only", "Bank account CSV", "Cash", "Account: AmazonPay"
From to: Select date range (avoid overlaps with the last exported range!). Accounting programs usually do not recognize overlaps → double import) Recommendation: always select fixed time ranges here e.g. whole months
Export: Export the invoices or credit note
Sorting is done by accounts in descending order.
Label fields
The following fields are available for export: 1. Date, 2. Amount, 3. Account/cd no., 4.Document field 1, 5. Posting text, 6. Country, 7. VAT ID, 8. Contra account.
Export file "date"; "amount"; "account/customer number"; "voucher field1"; "posting text"; "country"; "ustid"; "contra account"; "currency".
Note
Next to the Export button the last used export date is displayed.
On the bottom right you can export all address data (debtors/creditors). Delivers the customer/vendor labels by accounts of the debtors and creditors.
Customer: returns ALL customer labels (input customer number limits this list, export is ascending from this number (= ascending by the system ID of this customer number).
Supplier: returns ALL supplier labels (input supplier number limits this list, export is done ascending from this number (= ascending by the system ID of this supplier number).
Labeling fields
The following fields are available for export: 1. customer no./supplier no., 2. name, 3. street + house number, 4. postal code, 5. city, 6. VAT ID, 7. payment term in days, 8. account number, 9. bank code, 10. IBAN, 11. BIC, 12. bank/credit institute.
Export file "Customer number or supplier number"; "Customer name"; "Street"; "Postal code", "City"; "USTID"; "Payment term in days"; "Account"; "Sort code"; "IBAN"; "BIC"; "Bank".