Leitweg-ID
The Leitweg-ID routes an e-invoice to a specific public authority. It goes in the buyer reference (BT-10) and is mandatory on invoices to the federal government (§ 5 ERechV).
Check a Leitweg-ID
Structure
A Leitweg-ID has 5 to 46 characters in three parts, separated by hyphens:
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| Coarse address | 2 to 12 digits, mandatory |
| Fine address | up to 30 letters or digits, optional |
| Check digits | 2 digits, mandatory |
The first two digits name the federal state (01 to 16) or the federal government (99). The check digits are calculated as for an IBAN, under ISO/IEC 7064 (Modulo 97-10). Source: KoSIT format specification 2.0.2.
Example
The format specification works through the check digits for the Leitweg-ID 04011000-1234512345-06. The coarse address 04011000 starts with the state code of Bremen. The fine address 1234512345 and the check digits 06 follow.
Finding the Leitweg-ID
The public contracting authority gives you the Leitweg-ID, usually in the order. If it is missing, ask the invoice recipient. Copy it exactly, because one swapped digit makes the check digits invalid.
Applying for a Leitweg-ID
Businesses do not apply for a Leitweg-ID. The federal government and the states assign them to their own administrative units. Invoices between businesses need no Leitweg-ID.
More on invoices to public authorities is under XRechnung. invowerk reports a wrong Leitweg-ID in an invoice as a hint (IW-LEITWEG).