Accounting and invoicing for online course creators
Video courses, memberships, live cohorts and one-to-one coaching: whoever sells knowledge online has income from the course platform, from payment services and from companies. Saldiqo writes invoices for companies and groups, matches payouts and records tools and ads as expenses.
What comes up for online course creators
Several ways to sell
Direct sales through a platform, company bookings by invoice, discount campaigns and partners. Each way has different payments.
Company and group customers
Companies buy seats for teams and want an invoice with an invoice recipient and a payment term.
Ads and tools
Ads, email tool, course platform, payment processing and webinar software are running costs.
How Saldiqo helps
- Invoices for companies and groupsSeats and term as lines, with a payment term and reminders.
- Match platform payoutsUpload the bank statement and separate receipts by source.
- Cost centre per courseAssign income and expenses to a course and see which one pays off.
- Credit note on refundA refund stays linked to the original invoice.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Access to the video course, 12 months, 5 seats
- Live cohort, 6 weeks, one seat
- One-to-one coaching, 3 sessions
- Company licence for the course
- Credit note: refund after withdrawal
- Surcharge for certificate
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.
Frequently asked questions
Can I write invoices for companies that book seats?
Yes. You create the company as a contact and write the invoice with seats and term.
How do I handle refunds?
You create a credit note for the invoice. It stays linked to it.
Do online course creators 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 online course creators 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 online course creators 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.