TSE export in one click
Pick a period, pull the file, hand it to your tax adviser or the auditor.
Contains the TSE's signed transactions as a TAR file.
Fiscal Compliance
Germany's TSE requirement
Since 2020, every electronic POS system in Germany must be secured by a certified Technical Security Device (TSE) under the Kassensicherungsverordnung (KassenSichV). We explain what this means for salons and how Terminz supports you.
Who the TSE requirement applies to
Required
Every business running an electronic POS system or cash register, whatever its size or turnover. Once payments are recorded digitally, § 146a AO applies.
Exempt
An open cash drawer with no electronic recording at all. Anyone booking appointments digitally and recording payments in the system does not fall under it.
What happens when the TSE is missing
A cash audit arrives unannounced. If the signature is missing, three things follow in order.
- Your bookkeeping is rejected
- Without a signature the records count as formally improper. The tax office no longer has to accept your figures.
- The tax office estimates
- Once the records are rejected, turnover is estimated (§ 162 AO). The estimate goes against you, and the back payment reaches several years into the past.
- Fines up to €25,000
- § 379 AO provides for up to €25,000 per violation, whether or not tax was actually underpaid.
Five obligations that belong together
The TSE is only the first of them. Signing and leaving the rest undone still fails the audit.
- 1
Sign every transaction§ 146a AO, KassenSichV
Every transaction goes to a certified TSE in real time and comes back signed and unalterable.
- 2
Issue a receipt§ 146a (2) AO
A receipt has to be available for every transaction, printed or digital. Whether the customer takes it is up to them.
- 3
Register the till with the tax office§ 146a (4) AO
Every till and every TSE in use is reported, with serial number and purchase date.
- 4
Keep process documentationGoBD
How the system works, who may do what and how data flows has to exist in writing before anyone audits you.
- 5
Export data in DSFinV-K formatDSFinV-K
An audit asks for the individual records in a fixed format. Being unable to export them means having no bookkeeping at all.
The path of a receipt
From the payment at the counter to an audit years later. Five stations where the signature travels along.
At the till
The payment is recorded: services, prices, tax rates and payment method.
Signature
The transaction goes to the Fiskaly cloud TSE and comes back signed and unalterable.
Receipt
Signature, counter and timestamp appear on the receipt, printed or as a QR code to scan.
Retention
The transaction is stored unalterably for ten years.
Audit
During a cash audit the TSE export goes to the auditor as a file.
What Terminz takes care of
Till registration prepared
Everything the tax office asks for is collected in the dashboard.
Serial number, TSE details and purchase date are already filled in.
Process documentation included
The part describing the system comes from us. You add whatever differs in your own operation.
As a PDF, with a revision date and version number.
Frequently asked questions
What is a TSE?
The TSE (Technische Sicherheitseinrichtung) is a BSI-certified security module that signs every register transaction in a tamper-proof way. It has been legally required for all electronic POS systems in Germany since 2020.
I only take card. Do I still need a TSE?
Yes. The requirement attaches to the electronic recording system, not to the payment method. A card-only till has to sign too.
When does all of this apply from?
The TSE and receipt obligations have applied since 2020. Registering the till with the tax office was added in 2025.
Does Terminz register my till with the tax office?
You file the registration yourself; it is part of your tax obligations. We collect everything you need for it in the dashboard.
Can I use Terminz with my existing POS?
Terminz brings booking, CRM and POS together in one system. If you already have a POS, we recommend switching to the Terminz Terminal to meet the TSE requirement with less effort and unify your processes. Our team helps with data migration.
What does TSE cost with Terminz?
Every location needs its own TSE. At Terminz you book the TSE module per location in the dashboard; the price is shown there and on the pricing page as soon as it can be booked. The till itself is included in the Komplett plan.
What happens during a cash audit?
The auditor arrives unannounced and asks for the individual records in DSFinV-K format, the TSE export and the process documentation. The TSE export and the process documentation come out of the system.
This page explains the legal position and is not tax or legal advice. For your specific case, please ask your tax adviser.
POS with a certified TSE
You don't have to fight through legal texts, providers and configuration. Terminz provides a POS with a certified TSE as part of the platform. Let us show you how it works in a demo.