# Facebook ads in Germany: VAT, the price-cut rule, payments and key dates > Facebook ads in Germany: VAT on Meta's bill by who invoices you, the 30-day lowest price rule for discount ads, Sofort and direct debit, Ad Library rules and dates. - **Author**: Marxx - **Published**: 2026-11-03 - **Category**: Europe - **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-markets/meta-ads-in-germany --- Facebook ads in Germany run in Meta Ads Manager, and Meta adds no VAT when Meta Platforms Ireland bills your business, so you account for it yourself. An ad that shows a price cut must state the lowest price of the last 30 days clearly, and on 9 October 2025 Germany's Federal Court of Justice ruled that a tiny footnote at the foot of a page did not do that. ## Facts that differ in Germany (checked 2026-10-20) | Fact | Germany | |---|---| | Ad transparency | The [Meta Ad Library](/glossary/meta-ad-library) shows every active ad. Ads delivered in the EU also show targeting, total reach and reach by location, age and gender, and stay for one year after their last impression ([Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2405092116183307)). Advertisers cannot create or edit social issue, election or political ads in the EU ([Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2150157295276323)). | | Tax on Meta's bill | Meta's page names Germany. If Meta Platforms Ireland is the "Sold By" name on your receipt and you buy for business, Meta adds no VAT and you self-assess it. If a local Meta office issued the receipt, or you buy for private use, Meta adds VAT ([Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/133076073434794)). | | Main languages | German is the official language: "Die Amtssprache ist deutsch" ([Administrative Procedure Act, section 23](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vwvfg/__23.html)). | | Popular platforms | Ad reach in late 2025: YouTube 64.7 million, Instagram 31.3 million, TikTok 23.7 million (adults only), Snapchat 23.0 million, Facebook 22.8 million ([DataReportal](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-germany)). Ad reach is the audience each platform's ad tool reports, not active users. | | Payments Meta accepts | Amex, Mastercard and Visa cards, PayPal, direct debit, and Sofort Banking. Sofort is a manual method that needs Germany as the account country and euros as the currency, chosen when you first set up the ad account ([Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1440447962691404)). | | Time zone | UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer. Clocks go back on Sunday 25 October 2026 and forward on Sunday 28 March 2027 ([IANA tz database 2026e](https://www.iana.org/time-zones)). | ## Key selling dates (checked 2026-10-20) - **Black Friday:** Friday 27 November 2026, Cyber Monday 30 November ([plan](/campaigns/black-friday-ad-ideas)). - **Christmas:** Friday 25 December 2026 and 26 December are among the nine holidays protected in every state ([Federal Ministry of the Interior](https://www.bmi.bund.de/DE/themen/verfassung/staatliche-symbole/nationale-feiertage/nationale-feiertage-node.html)). See [Christmas ideas](/campaigns/christmas-ad-ideas). - **New Year's Day:** Friday 1 January 2027, on the same list. ## The price-cut rule When you announce a price cut, section 11 of the price information rules (PAngV) requires you to state the lowest total price you charged consumers in the 30 days before it ([PAngV](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pangv_2022/__11.html)). The Federal Court of Justice held on 9 October 2025 that this price must be unmistakable, clearly visible and easy to read. It found a small-type footnote at the foot of a leaflet page did not meet that test ([Bundesgerichtshof](https://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2025/2025184.html)). Say a jacket cost EUR 100 for most of the month but EUR 80 for three days last week. Your ad now offers it at EUR 60. The lowest price in the 30 days before is EUR 80, so the ad must show EUR 80 plainly. ## What to run and when Say you plan EUR 15,000 for Black Friday week. You put EUR 3,000 into the two weeks before to test hooks, EUR 9,000 into 27 to 30 November behind the winners, and EUR 3,000 into December reminders. Instagram reaches 31.3 million people against Facebook's 22.8 million, so give it a full share. The shared EU rules are on the [European Union](/markets/meta-ads-in-european-union) page. To see what rival brands run before you spend, search the Ad Library by hand. We make Marxx, which [tracks competitor ads](/features/competitor-tracking) on Meta and Google in one place. ## Common mistakes - Putting the 30-day lowest price in tiny type at the foot of the page, as in the case the court decided. - Skipping the "Sold By" name on your receipt, then missing VAT you owe. - Planning ads about social issues, elections or politics. They cannot be created in the EU. ## FAQ ### Does Meta charge VAT on ads in Germany? It depends on who bills you. If Meta Platforms Ireland bills your business, Meta adds no VAT and you self-assess it. If a local Meta office bills you, or you buy for private use, Meta adds VAT. ### What must a German ad with a price cut show? The lowest total price you charged consumers in the 30 days before the cut, shown unmistakably and easy to read. In the court ruling of 9 October 2025, a small-type footnote at the foot of a leaflet page did not meet that standard. --- - [More Europe articles](https://marxx.ai/library-markets/category/europe) - [All articles](https://marxx.ai/library-markets)