FAQs Germany - KassenSichV

Answers to frequently asked questions in connection with the Cash Security Ordinance (KassenSichV) in Germany.

Question: Does the fiscal middleware only replace the TSE connection or can it do more?

The fiscal middleware not only provides the TSE connection in Germany, but also the automatic creation of the DSFinV-K and cloud archiving. This saves you a lot of effort in the development and connection of the German fiscalisation.

Question: Do I need a separate TSE for each fund?

Yes - In principle, it would be permissible to register several tills per TSE, but we recommend using one TSE per till due to the relatively long signing time of 250ms.

Question: Do I have to end every transaction I start on a TSE?

es, every transaction that is started must be ended (CreateDocument / StoreDocument). If the transaction is to be discarded, then CancelDocument must be called. This cancels the transaction on the TSE.

Question: Can the VAT rates and ID's be adjusted in the fiscal module?

No. The VAT rates are adjusted according to the legal requirements in the fiscal module by RetailForce.

Question: What do I do in the event of a power failure?

Basically, you only need to restart the cash register. If you are using a hardware TSE, it will be initialised automatically. Cloud TSEs do not require initialisation.

Question: What do I do if the internet connection fails?

The processing of hardware TSEs also works offline. When using a cloud TSE, the RetailForce Fiscal Middleware transmits a corresponding message to the POS system, which is displayed to the cashier and also printed on the receipt. Data that is to be sent to the RetailForce Cloud Archive is buffered in the middleware until the internet connection is available again.

Question: What should be considered if the TSE fails?

The RetailForce Fiscal Middleware sends a corresponding message (TSE connection not available) back to the cash register. The message should be displayed to the cashier and also printed on the receipt. As soon as the TSE connection has been re-established, the middleware automatically takes over the re-signing process.

If the TSE is defective or has been lost (theft, vandalism,...), another (new) TSE must be installed immediately.

Question: What do I do if I lose the (hardware) TSE?

In this case, another / new TSE must be used immediately. A deregistration of the TSE with the competent tax authorities is currently (as of 07/2021) not yet foreseen.

Question: How do I commission a new hardware TSE?

Basically, the new TSE only needs to be connected to the POS system (plug in USB TSE, connect SD card,...) The middleware does the initialisation on its own. Please refer to this article for mor information.

Question: How many transactions can I store on a TSE or what happens when the memory is full?

The hardware TSE units from Swissbit, for example, usually offer 8GB of storage space, which corresponds to about 20 million signatures. The more likely case is that the certificate of the TSE expires. The certificate term is 5 years.  In both cases, however, the TSE must be replaced and a new one put into operation.

Question: How do I know when there are no longer many transactions possible on the hardware TSE?

The storage space of the TSE can be monitored via the RetailForce Cloud Portal.

Question: What is the difference between an "offline TSE" and an "online" or "cloud TSE"?

We assume that "offline TSE" refers to TSE units that can be used regularly on a cash register without an Internet connection. The hardware TSEs from the company Swissbit correspond to this. These TSEs are available as USB sticks, SD cards and MicroSD cards.

On the other hand, there are technical security devices that require an internet connection ("Online TSE" and "Cloud TSE"). A detailed overview of the different variants and in which POS system architectures they can be used can be found in this article.

Question: I am an OFFLINE customer, what do I have to consider or which TSE is the right one for me?

We assume that "offline customers" are those whose cash register has no possibility to establish an internet connection and only the RetailForce Fiskal middleware is used without a cloud connection. In this case, only hardware TSEs can be used. Furthermore, you must take care of the audit-proof archiving of the TSE data yourself.

Question: I use the ONLINE version, can I freely choose whether I want to have an OFFLINE or ONLINE TSE?

We assume that by "Online Version" you mean one of the versions of RetailForce Fiscal Services with cloud connection ("Starter", "Permium", or "Complete"). Which version of our Fiscal Services you use is not related to the TSE variant. You can find an overview of system architectures and usage scenarios of the different TSE variants in this article.

Question: Does a hardware TSE always have to be plugged into the same USB port?

No - the TSE is automatically recognised by the Fiscal Middleware. However, unplugging the TSE should always be avoided.

Question: What happens during an audit (cash inspection) or what does the auditor need from me?

The taxable business - i.e. the trader, the caterer, etc. - must provide the inspector of the tax authorities with the following information - must provide the tax authorities' inspector with either

• grant access to the stored data,
• evaluate this data in accordance with the requirements of the tax authorities, or
• make the data available to the auditor on a data carrier (= data carrier transfer)

Specifically, this involves all data relevant to tax law. The data from the TSE must be made available in the so-called DSFinV-K format (digital interface of the tax authorities for cash register systems). The DSFinV-K export can either be generated directly via the RetailForce Fiscal Middleware or in the Cloud Portal.

Question: How do I archive my data?

The archiving of data relevant to tax law must be audit-proof according to the GoBD (principles for the proper keeping and storage of books, records and documents in electronic form as well as for data access). Audit-proof essentially means protected from change. The Secure Archive of the RetailForce Cloud offers a variant for the secure archiving of data. The Fiscal Middleware automatically transmits the generated data to the archive, either immediately after the document is generated or as soon as the internet connection is available again after a failure.

Question: How often do I have to archive my data?

In principle, data relevant to tax law must be protected against loss and modification. Since data on a commercially available PC or a regular USB stick do not meet these requirements, we recommend archiving data on an ongoing basis. 

Question: What do I do if the TSE does not work / fails, may continue using the till?

Yes, the cashiering / checkour process may continue. In this case, a receipt must also be issued, but with the information that the TSE is currently not working. As of version 1.2, the RetailForce Fiscal Client's FiscalResponse to the cash register includes the PrintMessage field. The information contained in this field must be printed on the receipt.