Accounting and invoicing for bakeries
The day starts at three in the morning, the receipts come in the evening. In the shop customers pay at the till, but cafés, hotels, canteens and schools want an invoice. Saldiqo takes over that part and keeps flour, energy and ingredients under control.
What comes up for bakeries
Shop and wholesale customers
Sales in the shop run through the till. Beside it the bakery supplies cafés, hotels, canteens and schools, every week, sometimes every morning. That needs delivery notes and invoices.
Fixed and changing quantities
Some customers get the same quantity every day, others order at short notice for events. Both have to end up properly on invoices.
Cakes and catering with a deposit
Wedding cake, buffet, breakfast service: the job is agreed weeks ahead and a deposit is paid.
Purchasing in volume
Flour, butter, eggs, packaging, energy: supplier invoices are numerous and the energy bill is a big item. With several branches comes the question which branch costs what.
How Saldiqo helps
- Fixed deliveries as recurring invoicesIf a café gets the same quantity every week, a recurring invoice creates it on a fixed date.
- Delivery note and invoiceFor changing quantities you write a delivery note with the delivery, and the invoice is created from the same job.
- Cakes with a depositQuote, deposit invoice and final invoice guide you through the job.
- Supplier invoices and receiptsYou record supplier invoices with their due date and photograph receipts with your phone. Open supplier invoices can be bundled into a batch payment file for online banking.
- Cost centre per branchAssign income and expenses to branches and see which branch carries its weight and which does not.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Bread rolls, 120 pieces, Monday delivery
- Bread and small pastries as per delivery note
- Wedding cake, three tiers, as agreed
- Breakfast buffet for 25 people
- Delivery and set-up
- Deposit for transport crates
Tax and invoicing in Germany
What applies to invoices in Germany, in short. As of October 2026.
- VAT
- Standard rate 19 %, reduced rate 7 %. Which rate applies to which supply depends on the case. Saldiqo calculates each invoice line with the rate you pick.
- Small business scheme
- Under section 19 of the VAT Act (UStG) you charge no VAT as long as your turnover was at most €25,000 last year and is at most €100,000 this year. Saldiqo shows how much room is left and adds the note to your invoice.
- Mandatory details
- Under section 14 UStG every invoice shows a tax number or VAT ID, a consecutive invoice number, the date of supply and the recipient. Saldiqo checks this before you finalise an invoice. Small invoices up to €250 gross need fewer details.
- E-invoicing
- All businesses have had to be able to receive e-invoices since 1 January 2025. Issuing becomes mandatory from 2027 if last year’s turnover was above €800,000, and from 2028 for domestic business-to-business sales in all cases. Small businesses under section 19 are exempt. Saldiqo creates XRechnung and ZUGFeRD.
- VAT return
- The advance VAT return goes to the tax office through ELSTER, by the 10th after the end of the period. You file monthly if last year’s VAT was above €9,000 and quarterly above €2,000. Saldiqo provides the figures; you file in ELSTER or through your tax adviser.
- Record keeping
- Keep invoices and accounting vouchers for 8 years, books for 10 years and business letters for 6 years. The period starts at the end of the calendar year.
- Late payment
- In the second half of 2026 the default interest rate is 10.52 % between businesses and 6.52 % towards consumers, plus a €40 flat fee that applies to businesses only. Saldiqo has reminder levels with deadlines and fees.
- Getting paid
- Every invoice carries a GiroCode (EPC QR) that customers scan with their banking app. You match payments by uploading the bank statement as CSV or CAMT.
- Tax adviser
- Cash-basis profit calculation (EÜR), a DATEV export and a separate login for your tax adviser are built in.
For bakeries in Germany
Since 1 January 2026 Germany applies a permanent 7 % to food in hospitality and 19 % to drinks. Baked goods to take away are reduced anyway. In Saldiqo every invoice line gets its own rate, so on mixed invoices with coffee and pastries each line carries the matching one. The till in the shop has to meet the German till rules.
Frequently asked questions
Does Saldiqo replace the shop till?
No. Saldiqo is not a till system. Cash sales in the shop belong in a till that meets the rules of your country. Saldiqo handles invoices, delivery notes, reminders and expenses.
Can I link delivery notes and invoices?
Yes. The delivery note and the invoice belong to the same job, so you always see what was delivered and what is already billed.
How do I split costs between several branches?
With cost centres. You assign invoices, expenses and receipts to a branch and see the report per branch.
Do bakeries in Germany have to charge VAT?
Yes, unless they qualify as small businesses under section 19 UStG. That applies when turnover was at most €25,000 last year and is at most €100,000 this year. The limit is hard: VAT is due on the sale that takes you over it.
Do bakeries in Germany need e-invoicing?
Every business must be able to receive e-invoices since 2025. Issuing is mandatory from 2027 if last year’s turnover was above €800,000, and from 2028 for domestic business-to-business sales in general. Small businesses, invoices up to €250 and tickets are exempt. Private customers still get a normal invoice.
How long do bakeries have to keep invoices?
Invoices and vouchers for 8 years, books for 10 years and business letters for 6 years, counted from the end of the calendar year. You can store receipts digitally in Saldiqo. The legal duty to keep records and to document your procedures stays with you.
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As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.