Why is my invoice an XML file?
Since 1 January 2025, Germany requires e-invoicing for B2B transactions: an e-invoice is a structured, machine-readable XML format based on CEN/EN 16931, the EU standard, not a classic PDF. That's why more and more suppliers now send XRechnung files that look like raw code in a text editor. This viewer exists for exactly that: it turns the XML into a familiar invoice layout.
XRechnung, UBL, CII, ZUGFeRD
XRechnung is the German standard and comes in two syntaxes: UBL 2.1 or UN/CEFACT CII. ZUGFeRD / Factur-X is a hybrid: a PDF/A-3 file with embedded XML (factur-x.xml). The viewer recognises all variants automatically, for ZUGFeRD it extracts the XML directly from the PDF and shows the machine-readable, legally binding content.
What does the viewer show?
All key business terms under EN 16931: invoice number, issue and due date, seller and buyer with address and VAT ID, routing ID or buyer reference, every line item with quantity, unit, unit price and tax rate, the tax breakdown per rate, net, tax, gross and payable amount, plus payment terms with IBAN and BIC.
Print and archive
The print button generates a cleanly formatted view for your browser's print dialog, print directly there or choose "Save as PDF". Important for bookkeeping: the original XML remains the legally relevant document and must be archived in an audit-proof way (GoBD in Germany); the printout only serves as a reading copy.
Checking incoming invoices
When an invoice arrives, it's worth checking the structured data: do the amounts, tax rates, IBAN and routing ID match? The visible PDF of a ZUGFeRD invoice can differ from the embedded XML, the XML is what's legally binding. For a formal check against EN 16931, our e-invoice validator complements this viewer.
Privacy
The viewer runs entirely in your browser: XML is parsed with DOMParser, PDF attachments are extracted with pdf-lib. Invoice data, business partners and bank details never leave your device, no upload, no logging, GDPR-compliant. That means you can safely open confidential B2B invoices too.