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Introduction

DATEV is by far one of the most widely used accounting platforms in Germany, with two distinct products relevant for your accounting integrations:
  • DATEV Rechnungswesen — on‑premise core accounting system.
  • DATEV Unternehmen Online (DUO) — cloud platform for document management and collaboration with accountants.
Chift’s DATEV connector gives you unified access to both systems through a single integration layer, abstracting the complexity of choosing one point of access or the other. There are no major restrictions. Chift’s connector supports full accounting integration with minimal setup, including posting and retrieving journal entries, managing master data, invoices, analytical accounting, and attachments.

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Configure DATEV

Prerequisite(s)
  • You must have premium access in your Chift account to activate this connector.
  • Rechnungswesen: no additional prerequisites if you expose the API on your own (see below).
  • DUO: requires a Client ID and Secret (Chift can provide these so you don’t need your own).
Activation Process
  1. Activate the DATEV connector(s) in your Chift environment. There are two connectors corresponding to the two connection methods:
    • Public URL method (requires external access to the DATEV API).
    • Local Agent method (does not require URL exposure; agent installed on server).
    You can activate one or both connectors, depending on whether you want to support both connection methods for your users.

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Test DATEV

Testing against a real DATEV instance can be challenging due to how DATEV environments are provisioned. Options include:
  • Request a DATEV test environment (can be slow or costly), or
  • Use beta partners with existing DATEV access — a pragmatic option if your integration is already live and you need test coverage.
Chift can help with both approaches.

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Connect to DATEV

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Connection options

DATEV’s architecture imposes constraints on external access. Chift supports these scenarios:
  • Expose local API: Simple and fast if you can make the URL externally accessible. You can also use the Riecken Cloud Gateway, which exposes the local DATEVconnect API externally.
  • Local agent installation: Needed when URL exposure is restricted. Ensures DATEV security guarantees are maintained.
Additional context:
  • For attachments, Chift uses DUO, which requires client and consultant numbers.
  • Depending on setup, activation may require IT manager involvement (expose URL or install agent).
  • Planned DATEV API release (Q1 2027) will introduce a new connector simplifying activation further.
Chift offers two ways to connect, both providing identical capabilities. The difference lies in installation and prerequisites:
  1. Public URL Method (preferred when possible)
    • Requires exposing the local DATEV API URL externally.
    • Quick activation once URL is accessible.
    • IT manager or integrator involvement is needed.
    • Activation guide
  2. Local Agent Method (used when URL cannot be exposed)
    • Installs an agent on the DATEV server to proxy requests internally.
    • No URL exposure required.
    • Requires a Windows user with proper permissions for installation.
    • Activation guide
Note: Both methods use the same DATEV entry point; the user experience and capabilities are identical.

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Coverage

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Troubleshooting

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Specific errors for DATEV: