Blog & Guide
Featured
Classic Upgrades End on November 30, 2027
Classic upgrades remain available until November 30, 2027. The background: the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
German VAT Return (UStVA) and EC Sales List from GrandTotal
GrandTotal hands the German advance VAT return (UStVA) and the EC Sales List (ZM) directly to Steuererklärung.app – key figures and ZM lines are pre-calculated from your invoices.
Receiving Inbound Invoices: Peppol Inbox, Folder and Mailbox
Received invoices right in GrandTotal: automatic polling of the Peppol inbox via Recommand and e-invoice.be, from a watched folder or from a mailbox.
E-Invoices & Compliance
German VAT Return (UStVA) and EC Sales List from GrandTotal
GrandTotal hands the German advance VAT return (UStVA) and the EC Sales List (ZM) directly to Steuererklärung.app – key figures and ZM lines are pre-calculated from your invoices.
Heilpraktiker Invoices per GebüH – with Codes from the Catalog
GebüH invoices that German private health insurance reimburses without queries: fee schedule codes as item numbers in the catalog, treatment date per line, diagnosis on the invoice.
XRechnung: What Actually Changes for You
E-invoice reception mandatory since 2025 in Germany. Transition periods and free XRechnung Viewer.
Receiving Inbound Invoices: Peppol Inbox, Folder and Mailbox
Received invoices right in GrandTotal: automatic polling of the Peppol inbox via Recommand and e-invoice.be, from a watched folder or from a mailbox.
PDF/A: The Archive Format for Documents
Why documents are archived as PDF/A — and what makes the ISO format different from regular PDF.
E-Invoice Explained Interactively
Explore the new tool for analyzing and understanding e-invoices in XML format.
What is PEPPOL?
The international network for electronic business documents explained – from PEPPOL-ID to practical usage.
E-Invoicing Requirements in Europe: EU & EEA Countries
The EU documents e-invoicing requirements for all 27 member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland with legal frameworks and standards.
Security & Organization
Classic Upgrades End on November 30, 2027
Classic upgrades remain available until November 30, 2027. The background: the EU Cyber Resilience Act.
Cloud sync services compared: version history and file recovery
Side-by-side facts on version history and deleted-file recovery for Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, pCloud, Nextcloud, ownCloud, Seafile and Synology Drive.
AES-256 Encryption Explained
Protect your financial data with state-of-the-art encryption technology.
Data Security on the Mac: How Your Business Data Is Protected
How your Mac protects business data – from FileVault and Touch ID to the encrypted file and the backup. With the key steps for sensitive data.
Unique Invoice Numbers Across Multiple Macs
Users running GrandTotal on more than one Mac can occasionally end up with duplicate invoice numbers because of the sync window. An optional server reservation closes that gap.
How secure does a password really need to be?
Why password managers and random passwords are the only realistic protection.
Setting Up Cloud Sync on macOS
Practical guide to setting up local synchronization for major cloud services on macOS – with full offline availability.
The 3-2-1 Backup Strategy
Why backups are essential and how to really avoid data loss.
Mac Desktop Risk Factor
Why the desktop is a risk factor for data loss and where to store files safely.
Working from home
GrandTotal for home office: Share company files in the cloud and activate licenses for distributed work.
Encrypt Company File
Protect your business data with AES encryption. Passwords are securely managed in the Keychain.
Artificial Intelligence
The missing 5 %
Software fits 95 %. The missing 5 % decide efficiency and satisfaction – and today you can build them yourself.
MCP Server: Automate Invoices, Estimates and Reports with AI
Save time on complex analyses across invoices and estimates.
MCP Server or AI-Written Plugin: Which Way Fits?
MCP server or AI-written plugin? One way lets the AI work live in GrandTotal, the other has it write a plugin once that then runs without AI. Which fits when.
Simon Iannelli: AI-Powered Quotes for Photo Shoots
How a photographer uses Claude and GrandTotal to create professional quotes in minutes – including mixed calculations, travel routes, and automatic document structure.
AI Plugins: Integrations Without Coding Skills
Develop custom tool integrations with AI – no coding required. Security and privacy focused.
Data Migration: Out of Your Legacy System, Into GrandTotal
Migrate clients, articles and invoices from legacy systems to GrandTotal – via AI assistant instead of CSV import.
Automation & Efficiency
Scanning Documents: Reading PDF, Scan and Photo on the Mac Beta
Bring paper invoices, PDFs and scans into GrandTotal: as a beta, document recognition reads out invoice number, amounts, tax and IBAN – entirely locally on your Mac.
Machine Learning for Layout Recognition
Machine Learning recognizes layout elements in existing PDFs – a first step towards automatic layout creation.
Online Dashboard
Access your GrandTotal Dashboard from anywhere - end-to-end encrypted and optimized for mobile devices.
Send to Bookkeeping
One command exports all documents for a period as structured folders with PDFs and CSV files.
Optimize File
Reduce file size by consolidating log entries – using the hidden Optimize File feature.
Customize Your Catalog
How to organize your product catalog individually and customize it with custom fields to meet your business requirements.
Migrate Additional Fields
How to migrate your additional fields to the new dedicated data fields in GrandTotal.
Paste Tables as Line Items
Copy tables from Excel or Numbers and paste them directly as line items.
Text Placeholders: The Underrated Automation
Automate recurring texts and save time when creating invoices.
Guides
VAT rates in Europe: how they have evolved since 1970
How standard VAT rates in 31 European countries have evolved since their introduction – as an interactive chart for comparison.
When Numbers Jitter in Tables
Why amounts look restless in tables – and how tabular figures calm the column. Switched with a right-click in GrandTotal's typography menu.
First Toggl, Now Clockify: API Limits on Free Accounts
First Toggl, now Clockify: both have drastically cut API limits for free accounts. Why free services are always a risk.
Professional Invoicing Software Instead of Word and Excel
Why professional invoicing software pays off for freelancers.
Mac App or Web Service: Which is the Better Choice?
Why desktop software is the better choice for many freelancers.
Pricing & Calculation
Fees as Percentages: Line Items Calculated from a Base Value
Line items calculated as a percentage of a base value: set the base once per document, enter the percentage as quantity – ideal for fee scales like the German HOAI or Swiss SIA.
Why You Should Track Your Work Time
Why freelancers should track their work time – even with fixed prices. For transparency, better calculation, and profitability control.
Interactive Estimates
Let your customers choose between options with interactive PDF estimates.
Tips for Writing a Professional Proposal
How to create offers that convince and lead to more contracts.
Gross or Net Invoice: When to Use Which?
When gross prices make sense and how to avoid misunderstandings in invoicing.
The Hourly Rate Dilemma
Why hourly rates are often the worse choice for freelancers. Alternatives to hourly billing.
Payments & Finance
The Perfect Payment Term: 14, 30 or 60 Days?
Choosing the right payment terms: deadlines, discounts and how to get paid faster.
SEPA QR Code
Make it easier for your customers to pay with standardized QR codes for SEPA transfers.
Reverse Charge for Cross-Border Invoices: Simply Explained
When reverse charge applies and how to correctly state it on invoices.
Customer Care
Customer care for year-end: Reward loyal customers and strengthen relationships.
Why Invoices Get Paid Late
Why do customers pay late? Practical strategies against payment delays and delinquent payers.
News & Updates
The Essential Guide to the GrandTotal 9 Classic Upgrade
The latest version of GrandTotal with improved user interface and new features.
20 Years of Business Software from Media Atelier
Two decades of experience developing Mac software for freelancers.