Uncertainty of retention period for German VAT invoices

There remains uncertainty as to the progress of the Bill to reduce the period for which companies must retain German VAT invoices.

In April 2013, an Act was introduced to reduce the invoice retention period as follows:

• from 2013 invoices would only have to be held for eight years instead of the current ten years
• from January 2015 invoices would then only have to be stored for seven years

However, the Bundesrat continues to block the time period reduction, and it has been referred to the Tax Mediation Committee