If you book accommodation for yourself, you rarely think about tax issues. However, if you book on behalf of a company or would like to settle the costs via the company later, you need more than an informal booking confirmation. A decent invoice is the basis for the fact that accommodation costs can be claimed for tax purposes – and this is exactly where many fitters and companies ask themselves: Do you even get proof for a fitter’s accommodation that meets the requirements of accounting?
Why a proper calculation is important
A simple receipt or a handwritten confirmation is usually not sufficient for accounting. An invoice that serves as proof of the company must contain certain information: the full name and address of the landlord, the name of the invoice recipient, the service period, a precise description of the service and the invoice amount with the VAT shown.
If this information is missing, there may be problems with tax recognition. Anyone who regularly sends fitters on assembly should therefore make sure that the landlord is able to issue a complete and correct invoice when booking.
What should be addressed in the request
So that there are no surprises later, it is worth clarifying the topic of invoices when you first contact us. The following points should be addressed:
- Is the invoice issued in the company name?
- Is VAT shown separately?
- Can a collective invoice be created for multiple employees or multiple postings?
- When will the invoice be sent – before, during or after the stay?
Anyone who asks these questions at an early stage avoids standing at the end of a project with an incomplete or missing document.
Do you get an invoice for the company?
Many companies that book a fitter’s accommodation for the first time are asking themselves this question. The answer depends on the provider. Serious landlords, who regularly look after corporate customers, usually issue a decent invoice without any problems – with all the necessary information for the accounting.
It becomes more difficult with private room rentals or when booking via certain platforms that do not offer official invoicing. If you want to be on the safe side, you should specifically look for providers who explicitly advertise with corporate bookings – invoicing is usually standard there and not a special request.
Collective invoice for several employees
For companies that accommodate several employees at the same time, a collective invoice is often the more practical solution than individual receipts per person. Instead of five or ten separate invoices, the bookkeeping receives a single document that summarizes all postings of the period.
This significantly reduces the administrative effort – especially for companies that regularly send teams and have to settle several postings monthly. Anyone who expresses this wish when booking, will find understanding and uncomplicated implementation from most specialized landlords.
Which documents are required for a business booking
In addition to the invoice itself, there are other documents that can be useful or necessary for a business booking. This primarily includes a correct indication of the company data when booking – the complete company name, address and, if applicable, sales tax identification number if this is required for invoicing.
For some companies, a written booking confirmation is required, which is used internally for travel expense accounting or project documentation. This can also be easily requested from most landlords – a short note on the booking request is usually sufficient.
What to look out for in international companies
Anyone who sends fitters to Germany as an internationally active company should also check whether the invoice meets the requirements of the respective home country. In principle, similar standards apply to invoices within the EU, but details such as specifying tax numbers may vary. A short inquiry to your own tax consultant before the first booking creates clarity and saves later corrections.
Can a company book directly?
Yes – and in most cases this is even the simpler option compared to booking by the individual employees. If a company makes the booking itself, it is clear from the start that the invoice will be issued in the company name. This avoids subsequent paraphrases or misunderstandings if an employee originally made the booking under his own name.
For companies that regularly accommodate fitters or craft teams, it is also worth building a permanent business relationship with a reliable landlord. Anyone who books repeatedly, benefits from well-established invoicing processes – the accounting department knows what to expect and the landlord knows the customer’s requirements.
What to do with questions about the bill
If an invoice is incorrect or information is missing, direct contact with the landlord is the fastest way to clarify. When booking via portals, this is often more cumbersome because the communication runs over several places. If you have booked directly, you can usually get an incorrect invoice corrected within a few days.
Clear evidence for a smooth billing
Raumschmide Apartments will issue decent invoices for all bookings – directly on the company name and with all the information required for accounting. Collective invoices for several employees or several locations are also possible. If you book accommodation for your team and value an uncomplicated billing, you are well advised to use a direct inquiry.