Backbone for Germany

Built for Germany. Your back office that already knows the German rules.

Track hours, send invoices with every mandatory detail, as a PDF or e-invoice (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung), remind late payers and hand your bookkeeper a complete package every month. In German or English.

Try for 7 daysSee pricing

7-day trial, card required.

All complete

  • Tax number / VAT ID
  • Date of service
  • Consecutive invoice number
  • VAT 19%

E-invoiceZUGFeRD ▾

In short

My goal is to optimise and automate back-office tasks so that we founders can focus on what matters most.

Automating back-office work with AI agents and AI integrations is the future – that's why I built Backbone!

LucaLuca · Founder, Backbone

Backbone is the agentic back office for teams and agents.

What does Backbone handle for German businesses?

German rules, built in. You write the invoice, Backbone checks it before it goes out.

German rules in Backbone
RuleLawWhat Backbone does
Mandatory details under § 14 UStG§ 14 UStGwarns before you issue
Small businesses under § 19 UStG§ 19 UStGadds the § 19 note
Late-payment interest under § 288 BGB§ 288 BGBadds interest + €40
Clean corrections–credit note + corrected copy
E-invoices in ZUGFeRD format–PDF with XML to EN 16931
Leitweg-ID on the client–Leitweg-ID per client
§ 14 UStG

Mandatory details under § 14 UStG

Missing your address, tax number or VAT ID, or your client's VAT ID on a reverse-charge invoice? Backbone tells you before the invoice goes out.

Invoice requirements in Germany

§ 19 UStG

Small businesses under § 19 UStG

One switch in the settings: your invoices show no VAT and carry the § 19 UStG note.

§ 288 BGB

Late-payment interest under § 288 BGB

Reminders use the statutory rate: between businesses 9 percentage points above the base rate plus a €40 flat fee (§ 288 (2) and (5) BGB). Which law applies depends on your contract.

Late-payment interest

Clean corrections

Every issued invoice is stored once as a PDF and never changed. Need a change? Backbone cancels the invoice with a credit note and opens a corrected copy, so your number sequence stays clean.

Invoice numbering rules

E-invoices in ZUGFeRD format

A PDF people can read, with embedded XML to EN 16931. Backbone checks the standard's rules before you issue.

Leitweg-ID on the client

For public bodies, store the Leitweg-ID and the default format on the client and change both per invoice in the editor. XRechnung is live.

How Backbone does it

Say it in your AI chat. Backbone does it. In ChatGPT, Claude or another AI app with MCP support, or in the app. You approve before anything goes out.

  1. Track your time

    One sentence in the chat. The hours are in your week.

    In the chat

    Log 3:15 hours for Kinetik Studio, website relaunch: homepage wireframes, round two.

    Backbone connectorlog_time

    Logged.

    • Sun 27/09/2026 · Kinetik Studio · Website relaunch · 3:15 h
    • Homepage wireframes, round two
    In the app

  2. Create the invoice

    Say what goes on it. You approve.

    In the chat

    Write a draft invoice for Studio Nord: brand workshop, 16 hours at €95.

    Backbone connectorcreate_document

    Here's the draft.

    Open
    Invoice
    Studio Nord GmbH
    €1,808.80
    RE-2026-0142 · Issued 18/10/2026

    Looks good, issue it.

    Backbone connectorissue_document

    Issued as RE-2026-0142.

    In the app

  3. E-invoices per client

    Pick the format once. Every invoice follows.

    In the chat

    Studio Nord wants e-invoices in ZUGFeRD format from now on.

    Backbone connectorupdate_client

    Done. Invoices to Studio Nord now come as ZUGFeRD.

    • Studio Nord GmbH · E-invoice format: ZUGFeRD
    In the app

  4. Send the reminder

    You approve. Only then does it go out.

    In the chat

    Send Nordlicht the 2nd notice now, not on the 25th.

    Backbone connectorsend_reminder
    Send reminder
    Invoice RE-2026-0118 · Due 27/09/2026
    2nd noticeDE
    To
    Nordlicht GmbH[email protected]
    Outstanding€4,280.00Late interest 10.52% · 21 days€25.91Flat fee€40.00Total€4,345.91
    Expires in 28 min28 min
    In the app

  5. Receipts matched automatically

    Upload the statement. Clear matches assign themselves.

    In the chat
    Erste_Bank_10-2026.csv

    Here's the Erste Bank statement for October.

    Backbone connectorupload_file

    Imported. Where receipt and payment clearly match, they're already matched:

    • Bürobedarf Lindner KG · 14/10/2026 · −€86.90
    • Café Morgenrot · 13/10/2026 · −€23.40
    • Fotostudio Weiss · 09/10/2026 · −€350.00
    • Druckerei Nordwerk GmbH · 02/10/2026 · −€149.00
    In the app

  6. Ask the company wiki

    Ask instead of searching. The answer comes from your wiki.

    In the chat

    How do we claim travel expenses?

    Backbone connectorsearch_wiki
    Backbone connectorread_wiki

    According to the wiki page "Travel expenses":

    • Upload receipts by the 5th of the following month
    • Train in 2nd class, fly only from 4 hours by train
    • Hotels up to €120 a night, Luca approves anything from €500
    In the app

  7. Off to your bookkeeper

    Month complete. One link, done.

    In the chat

    Send October to my tax adviser.

    Backbone connectorsend_to_bookkeeper
    Send to bookkeeper
    To
    Kanzlei Rehm & Partner[email protected]
    Period
    October 2026
    Contents
    48 receipts · 2 statements
    Expires in 28 min28 min
    In the app

How does a month in Backbone work?

From the hour to the export. Nothing retyped.

  1. Live · Track time

    Track hours

    Track hours with the timer at the top of every page or with one sentence in ChatGPT or Claude. Every hour lands with the right client and project, at their hourly rate.

  2. Live · Bill the hours

    Create & send invoices

    At month end, open hours become invoice lines in one click. Backbone checks the mandatory details under § 14 UStG, assigns the next number and sends the invoice as a PDF or e-invoice (ZUGFeRD, XRechnung). If it stays unpaid, Backbone sends reminders on a schedule.

  3. Live · Hand over

    Bookkeeping

    Upload receipts as PDF or photo and Backbone matches them to your bank transactions. At month end a ZIP with invoices, receipts, statements and a CSV report goes to your accountant.

Time trackingInvoices & quotesExport for your bookkeeper

Guides for German businesses

Guides for German businesses. Short, with the law section and a check date.

  • Invoicing

    Invoice requirements in Germany

    The 10 mandatory details under § 14 (4) of the German VAT Act with an example, small-amount invoices up to €250, what counts as an e-invoice since 2025, and the most common mistakes.

  • Payment reminders

    Late-payment interest in Austria and Germany

    Late-payment interest 2026: Germany 10.52 % (B2B) or 6.52 %, Austria 10.73 % (B2B) or 4 %. The formula, a worked example, the €40 flat fee and a template.

Ask Billy about Backbone in Germany

Ask Billy

Hi, I'm Billy, the friendly ghost in Backbone. Ask me about this topic or how to get it done with Backbone.

Try 7 days

Try it with your next month of work. Hours in, invoice out, export ready.

Try for 7 daysSee pricing

€0.00 today · 7-day trial, card required · cancel monthly

Invoices & quotesDunningExport for your bookkeeperInvoicing from Austria? → Backbone for Austria