Method for producing formic acid formiates

A process for preparing acid formats in which

• a liquid stream I containing formic acid and
• a liquid stream II containing a metal formate,
• are provided and
• the liquid stream I is mixed with the liquid stream II, obtaining the corresponding acid formate, which comprises feeding, to the liquid stream I or a precursor thereof, to the liquid stream II or a precursor thereof, or to the mixture of the liquid streams I and II, a liquid stream III containing the components below at contents of in each case >0.1% by weight:
• metal formate,
• metal methoxide,
• methanol and
• methyl formate (MeFo),
• which is produced in a process for preparing MeFo by carbonylating methanol in a reactor at a pressure up to 50 MPa absolute in the presence of a metal methoxide as homogeneous catalyst, with
• withdrawal of the reaction mixture as gas stream in the upper region of the reactor and
• withdrawal of a liquid side stream from the reactor as stream III, or withdrawal of the reaction mixture as liquid stream IV, by
• separating off MeFo and methanol from stream IV.