Message

German: ElsterNachricht

List of fields, values and their context

The structure of filingValues is based on the ELSTER XML Documentation.

The ELSTER field code, its description, context (in the XML structure) and validation rules can be found in Excel files on the appropriate data type page.

The files can be opened with as Spreadsheet Reader (e. g. Excel).

The sheets * - Felder include the codes and description (columns B and C), as well as allowed values, length and regex expression every field validates against (columns E, F and I). This also applies to attachments to the main form.

Rows marked as(alt) denote, that a change has been made to its parameters (eg. Context) compared to the previous version of the documentation.

Attachments

Messages support attachments (exception: Appeal Withdrawal and Bank Details).

Attachments send to the fiscal authorities might be removed for security reasons or other limitations some time after the submission. When removed a message is being sent out and a detailed information should be retrieved from ELSTER, therefore: listing and single retrieval of the feedback messages is part of the retrieval process. Checking for the availability of new feedback messages should be triggered daily and the information forwared to the end-user.

Fullfilling the below mentioned requirements minimizes the amount of removed attachments by ELSTER.

Requirements

• Mime-Type: application/pdf

• File size is greater than 0 Bytes

• File size of a single PDF file does not exceed 10.485.760 Bytes

• Valid PDF file (for example pdfinfo does not return any errors)

• At least one PDF page

• At most 100 PDF pages

• PDF does not have any active content (like JavaScript or Forms)

• PDF does not contain malware

Typically 20 attachments can be sent with in one message. All attachments in one message can not exceed 38.700.000 Bytes.

Recently ELSTER added support for attaching E-Invoices in ZUGFeRD-Format (PDF with XML). Based on Forum statements: an embeded XML does not get removed, when it is in the ZUGFeRD-Format.

While non-ZUGFeRD-embedded-XMLs are silently removed from the PDF, changing therefore the content of the PDF. The so altered PDF is generally passed through if other requirements are fullfilled (source: ELSTER-Forum). Nobody gets notified about the change of the PDF.