Stripe DATEV integration: automate Stripe accounting with ease
A Stripe DATEV integration becomes relevant at the latest when payment movements can no longer be readily assigned to a clear business transaction. Fees, invoices, payouts and different points in time overlap. DATEV, however, expects structured data in a defined format.
So where does the actual preparation of a Stripe DATEV integration begin? What information does a reliable Stripe DATEV export need before it can be imported into DATEV? The decisive work lies in the logic before that. AccountOne carries the data from the payment service provider traceably through to accounting and to the tax consultant. This article shows how automation, review and handover become a reliable process.
Test the Stripe DATEV integration
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circa: Transactions
What is a transaction?
Each of these movements counts as a transaction:
- Sale
- Sales refund
- Customer payment
- Customer repayment
- Commingling (currently only on Amazon)
- Shipment (currently only at Amazon)
Ø 2.2 transactions per order - based on the average of our customers
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What you'll learn here:
- The Stripe DATEV integration starts directly with the transaction data. Only in this way can postings be classified unambiguously.
- Stripe payouts are not finished posting records. They bundle several transactions and must first be split into individual postings before further processing.
- Before the first retrieval, it is defined which information is transferred: for example payment movements and, if used, revenue from Stripe Billing.
- Payment account, cash in transit and fees each need their own account assignments so that every transaction is assigned correctly.
- The Stripe DATEV export should be reviewed before handover. Automated preparation does not replace professional review.
- The data can be imported as a CSV or EXTF file or via the DATEV Buchungsdatenservice, a dedicated data service, without manual rebuilding.
- AccountOne prepares the data technically. The tax firm takes care of the professional classification.
- Documented knowledge and personal support keep the process adaptable when accounts or account assignments are added.
Stripe DATEV integration – why good accounting starts with the data
An amount alone reveals nothing about which transaction lies behind it. And a statement from the payment service provider does not always show this connection in the form that accounting needs. Only the transaction type, identifier and origin show whether it is a customer payment, fee, refund or payout. AccountOne uses this information in the Stripe DATEV integration to match payments to the corresponding invoices from the shop or invoicing system. And to address the correct debtor. This turns raw data into a reliable basis. E-commerce companies thus avoid matching by amount or date.
From the payment service provider to accounting
Stripe records money movements as so-called Balance Transactions. As a payment service provider, Stripe thus initially only represents the technical level. AccountOne structures this payment data for accounting via an API.
These include:
- Payments
- Refunds
- Fees
- Payouts
A single payout can bundle several transactions. The amount itself is therefore not yet a finished posting record.
The individual movements contained in it must therefore first be separated by their function before they can be posted. This keeps it visible which part belongs to the actual sale and which merely moves money from the Stripe balance to the bank account.
Only the Stripe DATEV integration translates the payment data into usable accounting data.
Before the export starts: preparing the Stripe DATEV integration properly
After logging in to AccountOne, the Stripe App as a DATEV integration is installed and the desired account is selected. Anyone using Stripe Billing can specify that the revenue generated there is retrieved as well.
This selection determines which information appears in the result and which continues to come from the shop or invoicing system. The first data retrieval only starts after approval. The technical integration is therefore in place before the setup of accounts and posting rules even begins. The Stripe DATEV integration then transfers exactly the data that has been approved for the chosen process.
Accounts, fees, payouts: what companies need to clarify in advance
Before the first download, a clear account assignment is needed. The payment account receives a general ledger account from the bank account range; for the transaction type “payout”, a contra account for cash in transit is added. Fees deliberately do not run through the same account but through a separate expense account. After all, payment account, cash in transit and expense fulfil three different tasks. This also allows open invoices and payment data to be matched unambiguously later on. Clean account assignment prevents technical handover and posting logic from only colliding at import.
Another point: companies should consistently use the shop name assigned during the connection as the origin. Only then can the tax firm recognize where a movement comes from and which key it is linked to.
Stripe DATEV export – check data before it moves on
Every Stripe DATEV export needs a short quality check before handover. What matters are complete periods, plausible balances and clear indications of possible errors. For this purpose, AccountOne provides the monthly movements in the export area.
Check first, then transfer. This principle applies every month – even with an automated Stripe DATEV integration.
No more missing details or contradictory values: anomalies become visible before they end up in the posting batch. The download is exported in DATEV format and designed for batch processing. This makes errors visible early and noticeably shortens coordination with the tax firm. Review thus becomes a fixed process step.
Importing Stripe into DATEV after preparation
There are two ways to handle the monthly handover. With the classic import, the tax firm downloads the CSV or EXTF file from AccountOne and opens batch processing in DATEV. There, the information is assigned to an existing posting batch or created as a new batch. The data path remains controllable at all times.
Alternatively, the DATEV Buchungsdatenservice handles the transfer. For this:
- the client must be set up in the DATEV Cloud,
- the connection to AccountOne must be in place,
- the relevant period must be finalized.
Both ways lead to the same goal: reviewed posting records reach further processing without manual rebuilding. This way, the payments can be imported without rebuilding the posting data by hand.
Where technical handover and professional review meet
The combination of DATEV and Stripe connects two levels: AccountOne structures the payment data. The tax firm decides whether a transaction is classified correctly from a professional standpoint. It reviews account assignment, tax treatment and special cases, for example in accruals and deferrals, while the company supplies the operational information. Clear roles help here:
- The retailer sets up the connection to AccountOne
- AccountOne prepares the data as a technical partner
- The tax firm takes care of the tax setup and the account assignment and reviews the exports
Tax consultancy, support and partners – solutions for the ongoing process
After the first import, the actual day-to-day work begins. In e-commerce in particular, new Stripe accounts, changed account assignments or additional billing models regularly change existing workflows. That is why a Stripe DATEV integration needs ongoing maintenance.
For this, AccountOne provides companies and tax consultants with documented knowledge as well as personal support via helpdesk, email and phone. As a result, the ongoing accounting process is not unnecessarily interrupted.
As a DATEV integration partner, AccountOne relies on a technically validated solution. This keeps the Stripe DATEV integration reliable even as accounts, account assignments or billing models grow over time.
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Frequently asked
How does the data get from Stripe to AccountOne?
AccountOne retrieves the data directly from Stripe via API. After logging in to AccountOne, the Stripe App is installed and the desired account is selected. Anyone using Stripe Billing can additionally have the revenue generated there retrieved. The first data retrieval starts after approval. Here you can find the detailed instructions: Guide to the Stripe connection
How is the invoice matched to the payment?
Once the data from the payment service provider Stripe has been imported into AccountOne for accounting with DATEV, the system begins matching the individual payment transactions to the corresponding invoices from the online shop or the invoicing system (for SaaS). The matching is based on special transaction identifiers that are already contained in the order data from the web shop or the data from the invoicing system.
This matching also makes it possible to address the correct debtor right away. This means there is no need for manual intervention in DATEV.
What do the posting records look like?
For accounting in DATEV, Stripe is handled like a separate bank account. On this “fictitious” bank account, the incoming customer payments, the individual transaction-based fees and the payouts to the actual bank account are posted. This is comparable to the posting method for a cash register.
The payouts to the bank account are posted via cash in transit and match the incoming funds on the bank account 100%. This allows easy reconciliation in DATEV.
How do the posting records get to DATEV?
Every month, AccountOne provides a DATEV-compatible CSV record set for the payments from Stripe. It is regularly checked with DATEV's validation tools and guarantees a smooth import into DATEV. In addition, our export to DATEV is suitable for batch processing.
An ASCII import is therefore not necessary; the data can be read in with DATEV's built-in tools. This prevents errors during import.
What our customers say:
“We want to support our clients, many of whom are online retailers and Amazon or eBay sellers, as individually as possible and still efficiently. AccountOne's time-saving solution for automatic accounting import via the DATEV integration is an indispensable working basis for our digital tax office.”
Diplom Betriebswirt (FH) Daniel GöllnerTax consultant, tax consultancy Daniel Göllner, GroßschwabhausenTest 14 days free of charge & in full
Including 3 retroactive monthly exports, full access to the software and access to all support resources (help desk, email & phone)