Everything about: Contracts & Legal

VAT reduction 2020 (Germany)

This article is particularly relevant for users from Germany.

The coalition committee agreed on June 3, 2020 on the VAT reduction between July 1 and December 31, 2020.
For users of the cash register system, we have compiled the most important information here.

Do changes need to be made for regular cash register operation?

No, you do not need to make any changes to your cash register settings. The tax rates for products and services will be charged automatically at 16% and 5% respectively from July 1. The system will maintain the gross prices.

Is there anything else I should note?

If you or your tax consultant use a DATEV export at the end of the month, discuss with your tax consultant whether different revenue accounts should be used from July 1. These can then be stored in the cash register settings from July 1. If you are unsure how to set these up, you can send us the planned revenue account changes via chat or email to info@belbo.com. Further information can be found here: Posting settings

Frequently Asked Questions

I don't want to pass on the VAT reduction for now and don't want to change my prices. Do I have to do anything?

Correct, the cash register system calculates with gross prices and will only adjust the VAT.

I want to reduce my prices. How do I proceed?

Basically, you can proceed as with any other price change and manually change the prices from July 1. We plan to provide you with a tool to make this process less work for you. We will inform you from June 22 how this tool works.

What happens if a customer redeems a voucher or prepayment that has already been taxed?

These and similar questions must first be discussed with your tax consultant. Basically, these issues are to be resolved by your tax consultant's accounting and such matters must be calculated.

The fact is, of course, that the date of service provision always applies and thus any VAT already remitted will be corrected by your tax consultant. First and foremost, this is not an issue for the cash register system, which must tax all dates and sales from July 1 at 16%.

What happens in case of an exchange/return for an invoice with 19%?

These and similar questions must first be discussed with your tax consultant. Basically, 2 tax codes will then be used on the invoice, which will be offset against each other. Our recommendation is that these special cases be recorded exceptionally and reported to your tax consultant so that he can check the correct posting.

Due to the legal situation, we are not permitted to advise you on tax matters. Please discuss specific tax issues with your tax consultant.

Direct Debit Authorization

If you would like to grant Belbo Business Software GmbH a direct debit mandate, you are welcome to do so. This authorization can be revoked at any time.

Grant direct debit mandate

Please download and print the following document:
Belbo Direct Debit Mandate (PDF)

Then send us a scan or a clear hand photo of the completed and signed document to info@belbo.com.

Unless you specify otherwise, your next monthly fee will be collected accordingly.

Change or revoke direct debit mandate

If you want to change a granted direct debit mandate – for example, because your bank details have changed – you can fill out a new document and send it to us at any time.

If you want to revoke an existing direct debit mandate, you can do so at any time by email to info@belbo.com.

Measures Against Unreliable Customers

Customers who do not show up for an appointment mean loss of earnings. With the Belbo calendar, you have the opportunity to reduce appointment cancellations.

Formulate confirmation email

In the confirmation texts you can inform your customers what a missed appointment means. This way you can point out your terms and conditions, mention a cancellation fee or describe that the cancellation represents a financial loss for you.

Use reminder functions

With reminder emails and SMS messages, you can remind customers of their appointments with you. For more information on how to compose these, see Reminder texts.

Prepayment function

You can allow your customers to pay online for services booked online. By the way, this can also be limited to expensive services or a specific customer status. A pre-paid appointment will very likely be attended. Find out more about online payment here.

Mark appointments as cancelled

If a customer does not show up for an appointment, you can mark the appointment as cancelled. In the customer file, it will later be clear how reliable a customer is.

Note appointment cancellation

Click on an appointment and select the option "Appointment cancelled" under Status.

You can then specify a reason for this.

View customer reliability in the customer file

In each customer file you can view the reliability of the customer.
Customers who have always shown up receive a green scale in the customer file, while unreliable customers see the scale turn orange depending on the ratio of attended and cancelled appointments.

Reliability color scale for an unreliable customer:

Cancelled appointment in the customer's appointment archive:

Appointments marked as cancelled can incidentally remain in the calendar. These times are bookable again for other customers without you having to delete the cancelled appointment.

Use customer status

You can give unreliable customers an appropriate customer status so you can identify them immediately when entering appointments:

Draw up terms and conditions

Draft a terms and conditions text in which you alert your customers to the consequences of unannounced missed appointments. Customers who book appointments online must accept the terms and conditions before booking. This gives you legal certainty if you want to charge the customer a cancellation fee.

Block online booking

If you want to prohibit unreliable customers from booking online, you have several options:

Block online booking for registered customers

In each customer file you have the option to block a customer who is already registered for online booking.

Block online booking for unregistered customers

If you use booking without prior login, you can block specific email addresses or phone numbers. For more information about the "Block customers" function, click here.

Block online booking for specific customer groups

If you use customer status to mark unreliable customers, you can also create a separate online booking process for unreliable customers in which no services are listed.

Use SMS-TAN function

To make sure your customers enter the correct phone number when booking online, you can use the SMS-TAN function. This way customers can only book if they enter a code that is sent to their mobile phone.
This function incurs SMS costs according to your contract.