On 15 September 2016 the ECJ published two fundamental judgments. As a result, the German fiscal authorities, as well as the tax courts, now need to rethink many cases. The previous formalism associated with the issuing of invoices will be considerably reduced in the future. The requirement to pay interest as a result of formal invoice errors will become a thing of the past. Companies, that were denied VAT deduction in the past, due to formal invoice errors, now have the chance to reclaim the interest paid. However, these judgments do not mean a carte blanche approach to invoices. Rather, they will assist in containing the excessive formalism. It may take some time before an official reaction from the fiscal authorities is forthcoming. However, taxpayers should immediately seize the opportunities afforded them by the judgments.