This article explains which new employee data Personio now automatically transfers to DATEV, how to set up the synchronization, and which attributes need to be maintained during ongoing operations.

What are the advanced attributes in the DATEV integration?

The DATEV integration between Personio and DATEV (LODAS and Payroll & Salary) automatically transfers employee master data, so you no longer have to maintain this data manually in both systems. With this release, Personio expands the scope of data transfer by four attribute groups that previously had to be entered manually in DATEV:

• Primary cost center: The primary cost center of a person for internal cost allocation and payroll posting in DATEV.
• Birth name: The birth name of a person, which has been legally required in payroll accounting since 2026.
• Activity key: The nine-digit key that classifies the activity, school degree, vocational qualification, employment status, and contract type of a person, required by the Federal Employment Agency for employment statistics.
• Severe disability data: Information about a person’s severe disability, including validity of the disability ID, person group, and other mandatory details for tax reliefs and legal reporting obligations.

The new attributes are automatically included in the DATEV export file and can be transferred to DATEV via the export workflow integrated in Personio (Payroll Import Data Service). Transfer in the opposite direction is not included in this release.

New attributes depending on DATEV version:

• DATEV LODAS: 14 new attributes
• DATEV Payroll & Salary: 19 new attributes
  • Of which 2 are exclusive to Payroll & Salary
  • And 3 attributes that were previously only available for LODAS

Product limitations

• The percentage cost center distribution (cost center allocation) is not included in this release. Employees with multiple cost centers and percentage allocation are not affected by the automatic transfer of the primary cost center; manual entry in DATEV remains necessary for these cases for the time being.
• Retroactive corrections of already completed payroll periods are not supported.
• The description (designation) of the activity key is not transferred. If you require a specific activity designation in DATEV, please continue to enter it directly in DATEV.

Setting up advanced attributes

Setup is done per company and is a one-time configuration. It consists of four steps.

Step 1: Activate attributes for export

The new attributes are not active by default. You activate them under Employee Master Data & Validations.

Note:
If you use multiple companies, set up the attributes per company. Without companies, the setup applies to the entire account.

1. Navigate to Payroll > Manage > DATEV > Employee Master Data & Validations.
2. Open the relevant sections:
   • LODAS: Employee, Severe Disability, and Activity
   • Payroll & Salary: Address/Name, Severe Disability, Activity Key, and Cost Center Accounting
3. Check the checkbox for each attribute you want to include in the DATEV export.

Note:
The new attributes are located in the employee profile under Personal Information in a new section. This section is only visible to admins by default. Via Roles & Permissions, you can decide whether to make the section visible to employees. For more information on excluding individual attributes, see the article on Excluding Attributes from the DATEV Export.

Step 2: Set up cost center assignment (only for primary cost center)

If you have activated the Primary Cost Center attribute, you must assign your Personio cost centers to the DATEV cost center IDs before export is possible.

1. Scroll on the same screen:
   • LODAS: to the section Activity > Cost Center Assignment.
   • Payroll & Salary: to the section Cost Center Accounting > Cost Center Assignment.
2. You will see a table with all cost centers set up in Personio.
3. Enter the corresponding DATEV cost center number in the right field for the relevant cost centers. You receive this information from your tax advisor or payroll department.
4. Click Save.

Warning:
Each DATEV cost center ID may only be assigned to one Personio cost center. If you want to export employees with unassigned cost centers, you will receive a validation error message. You can then either add the missing assignments or deactivate the Primary Cost Center attribute and assign it later.

Example:
A company has created the cost centers "Sales," "Marketing," and "IT" in Personio. In the assignment area, these are assigned the DATEV cost center IDs 100, 200, and 300. Each employee is then assigned the appropriate primary cost center in their employee profile so that DATEV receives the correct ID for payroll posting.

Step 3: Fill in attributes in employee profiles

Navigate to Company > Employee List and fill in the new attributes for your employees.

Activity Key: The activity key consists of five components. Two of these (school degree and vocational qualification) were already transferred with the DATEV integration. This release adds three more:

• Activity Key
• Type of employment (contract type)
• Temporary employment

Note:
These three attributes are added for DATEV LODAS customers. Customers of DATEV Payroll & Salary receive a new set of five attributes: Activity Key, Type of Employment (Contract Type), Temporary Employment, School Degree, and Vocational Qualification.

Severe Disability Data: The following table shows all available fields depending on the DATEV version.

Available for both LODAS and Payroll & Salary:

Additionally only for Payroll & Salary:

Note:
Some fields are dependent on each other. For example, if "Severe disability present = Yes," the fields "Valid from" and "Valid until" must be filled in. We recommend coordinating with your tax advisor or payroll department for correct completion.

Note:
The following fields are dropdown fields with predefined options. If you want to migrate data from old custom attributes, make sure the values match the new options: Highest school degree, Highest vocational qualification, Temporary employment, Contract type, Severe disability present, Person group ELAN, Working hours under 18 with approval by Employment Agency, Issuing authority, Disability ID present.

Step 4: Export master data to DATEV

Follow the instructions in the article on the Export of Master Data via the Payroll Import Data Service to perform the first export with the new attributes.

Note:
Empty fields are not exported and are automatically excluded from the export.

Migrating existing attributes

If you have already set up custom attributes for these data fields, they will not be automatically transferred to DATEV. Only the new, predefined attributes are exported.

How do I recognize the new DATEV attributes in the employee profile?

The new attributes automatically appear in the section DATEV LODAS 2 or DATEV Payroll & Salary 2 in the employee profile. You do not need to create these attributes yourself.

All attributes located in this section are automatically transferred to DATEV. Attributes outside this section are not part of the DATEV integration, even if they have similar names.

Note:
If you have manually adjusted the order or assignment of attributes in the settings, the assignment may differ. In this case, we recommend checking the attribute assignment under Settings > Personal Information.

Transfer data from old to new attributes

1. Navigate to Analytics > Reports and create a custom report.
2. Click Create report and select Use classic builder.
3. Under Set report details, select the following settings:
   • Report type: Point in time
   • Date: Today’s date
   • Table columns: First name, last name, email, and all old attributes
4. Under Set conditions, select all employees (including inactive ones).
5. Click Export to download the report as an Excel file.
6. Open the export file and remove the columns First name and Last name.
7. Rename the columns of the old attributes to the names of the new predefined attributes (e.g., from "Activity Key (old)" to "Activity Key").
8. For dropdown fields, ensure that the values match the options of the new attribute.
9. Save the file.
10. Navigate to Settings > Imports, select the upload type Employees, and import the prepared file.

Note:
You can alternatively export the employee list directly under Company > Employee List. However, note that this export may not include all inactive employees.

Tip:
We recommend using Analytics > Reports to ensure that no data records are missing.

For more information on importing employee data, see the article on Importing Employee Data.

Managing advanced attributes

After setup, the new attributes are automatically transferred with each DATEV export. The following table shows which management actions are available per attribute group.

Note:
Empty fields are not synchronized with DATEV. If a field is cleared by users, this change is not transferred. The previous value remains in DATEV.

Adjust a person’s primary cost center

1. Open the employee profile of the person concerned.
2. Navigate to the DATEV section.
3. Change the selection in the Primary Cost Center (DATEV) field to the new cost center.
4. Save the profile. The change will be transferred to DATEV during the next export.

Update cost center assignment

If you create a new cost center in Personio or an existing DATEV cost center ID changes:

1. Navigate to Payroll > Manage > DATEV > Employee Master Data & Validations.
2. Open the section Activity Key > Cost Center Assignment.
3. Enter the new or changed DATEV cost center ID.
4. Save. The updated assignment applies to the next DATEV export.

Update severe disability data

If a person’s data changes (e.g., new ID, changed validity period):

1. Open the employee profile of the person concerned.
2. Navigate to the DATEV section.
3. Update the changed fields.
4. Save the profile. The updated information will be transferred during the next export.

Note:
Retroactive corrections for already completed payroll periods are not supported. If you need to correct data for past periods, please make the adjustment directly in DATEV.

Activity Key: Enter performed activity

For more information on the composition of the activity key, see the article on Attributes for the DATEV Integration.

Follow these steps to enter the code in Personio:

1. Open the input assistance tool of the Federal Employment Agency and search for the appropriate activity for the respective person.
2. Note the five-digit code.
3. Navigate in Personio to the employee profile under Company > Employee List.
4. Open the DATEV section and enter the code in the Performed Activity field.
5. Save the profile.

Note:
The job title is not transferred to DATEV. DATEV automatically selects the first matching entry for the entered key number. If a different designation is required, we recommend adding it directly in DATEV afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to reconfigure my existing DATEV synchronization?
No. The new attributes are added in addition to your existing configuration. You only need to activate the new attributes under Payroll > Manage > DATEV > Employee Master Data & Validations if you want to use them.

Are the new attributes automatically transferred during the next export?
No. You must first activate the attributes manually. Only then will they be included in each export.

I use DATEV LODAS – will I see the Payroll & Salary exclusive attributes?
No. Depending on your DATEV version, you will only see the attributes relevant to you. LODAS customers do not see Payroll & Salary-exclusive fields.

What happens if I activate an attribute but do not fill it out for all employees?
Empty fields are not exported. The export will still be performed – only filled fields are transferred.

What happens if I have not assigned all cost centers?
If you want to export employees with unassigned cost centers, you will receive a validation error message. You can then either add the missing assignments or deactivate the Primary Cost Center attribute and assign it later.

Where can I get support if I have problems?
Click Support in the left menu in Personio to contact our support team.

Related articles

• Export of Master Data via the Payroll Import Data Service
• Exclude Certain Attributes from Export
• Setting up Cost Centers
• Overview of Permissions and Employee Roles
• Create Report
• Importing Employee Data