Surely you must have already heard that the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) has tightened the provisions governing the use of POS systems for the coming year with the 2020 POS Directive. As of 01.01.2020, electronic POS systems must have Certified Technical Safety Equipment (TSE) with a security module, a storage medium and a digital interface for audit by the tax authorities.
The purpose of the TSE is to ensure that all POS entries can be logged at the start of the recording process and can no longer be changed later on without recognition. The TSE must be certified by the Federal Office for Security and Information Technology (BSI).
POS systems that integrate a certified TSE do not have to be self-certified.
Among others, the Bundesdruckerei (Federal Printing Works), the Austrian company efsta and a merger of Audicon and fiskaltrust want to offer correspondingly certified solutions that the POS software producers can integrate.
Due to various problems, it is not yet clear when appropriate solutions will be available: The BMF has not yet published a definitive application decree. There is still no certification process for the TSE and only the first prototypes for the TSE hardware exist. Once the BSI has defined the certification process (planned at the end of 2019), providers also have to be certified. The Federal Ministry of Finance has already announced a non-objection scheme that will run up until 30 September 2020. The Finance Ministers of the federal states still have to approve this.
As you can see, there is currently no operational solution and no realistic deadline. We will follow the developments and decisions closely and will inform you immediately as soon as we can make a recommendation for action.
