Accounting and invoicing for travel creators
Press trips, hotel stays for content, tourism boards and collaborations with airlines: travel creators are often paid in services that are not money at all. Saldiqo writes the invoices, lets you record flights and stays as payment in kind and collects travel costs.
What comes up for travel creators
Trip for content
Hotel, flight or tour are part of the pay. The value of the service belongs in the billing.
Several currencies and countries
Receipts from different countries and currencies and clients abroad make the overview harder.
Travel costs
Flights, stays, meals and rental cars are partly paid by the client and partly carried by you.
How Saldiqo helps
- Record payment in kindName flight, hotel and activity with value in the invoice. For a pure exchange mark it paid with the payment method other.
- Invoice to a tourism boardPosts, reels, image rights and travel days as lines.
- Capture travel costsPhotograph receipts and capture them as expenses, with a cost centre per trip.
- Clients abroadFor businesses in other EU countries you choose reverse charge, and Saldiqo adds the note.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Content for tourism board, 4 reels and 10 stories
- Image rights, 24 photos, use for 12 months
- Payment in kind: 3 nights worth 540
- Days on location, day rate
- Flight and transfer as per receipt
- Photo post-processing by effort
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
How do I treat a press trip?
The value of hotel, flight and programme can be taxable income if it is consideration for your content. You clear that case by case with your tax adviser.
Can I evaluate travel costs per trip?
Yes, with cost centres. You assign receipts and income of a trip to the same cost centre.
Do travel 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 travel 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 travel 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.