Financial reference data: cost centers, VAT rates, and GL codes
Financial reference data is the set of allowed cost centers (Kostenstellen), VAT rates (USt), and GL mapping codes that Beleg line items can be tagged with. This article explains what the reference data contains, how it is maintained, and how it gates line-item tagging.
The three reference lists
| List | Key fields | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| VAT rates | Percentage, display name, sort order, active flag | The VAT rate on a line item; drives the calculated VAT amount. |
| Cost centers | Code, display name, sort order, active flag | The cost center tag on a line item; drives cost-center reporting. |
| GL mappings | Code, display name, sort order, active flag | The general-ledger account a line item books to. |
All three are tenant-scoped: each tenant maintains its own lists. VAT rates are stored as percent values (for example 19.00). Cost center and GL codes are short codes (up to 50 characters) with a friendlier display name.
Where it lives and who maintains it
Reference data is maintained through the canonical financial reference data capability, shared across the platform (it is also used by Strafmandate cost allocation and damage management). Access is permission-gated:
- settings:view — read the reference lists. Held by FleetManager and SystemAdmin.
- settings:manage — add, edit, activate, or deactivate options. Held by SystemAdmin (and any custom role granted it).
Note: FleetManager can see the reference data but cannot change it. Changing which cost centers, VAT rates, or GL codes are available is a SystemAdmin task.
Active vs. inactive options
Each option has an active flag. Only active options are offered when tagging line items, and only active options pass validation. Deactivating an option keeps it in the list for history but stops it being used on new or edited Belege.
Validation is enforced per list only when that list has at least one active option. If a tenant has no active cost centers configured, cost-center values are not checked at all — so configure your reference data before you expect tags to be enforced. Cost center and GL codes are matched case-insensitively; VAT rates are matched on the percentage rounded to two places.
How reference data gates tagging
When you save a Beleg line item with a VAT rate, cost center, or GL mapping, each value is checked against the active options. A value that is not active is rejected with FINANCIAL_REFERENCE_NOT_ACTIVE and the whole save is refused. This ensures the finance system only ever receives codes it recognizes.
Snapshots preserve what was approved
Because reference data can change over time, the platform snapshots each line item's cost center, VAT rate, and GL mapping when the Beleg is Approved. Those snapshot values are frozen, so a Beleg approved last quarter still shows exactly the codes and rate that applied then, even if you have since renamed or deactivated the option.
Tip: Prefer deactivating an obsolete cost center over deleting it. Deactivation removes it from new tagging while keeping historical Belege and their snapshots readable. Note that one cost center can also be flagged as the default department allocation for Strafmandate (penalty notice) payments — at most one per tenant.
Related
- Tag line items with VAT rate, cost center, and GL mapping
- Add line items to a Beleg
- How net, VAT, and gross amounts are calculated
- How header totals are recomputed on every change
