We present a direct, geometric derivation of the generalized Smarr formula for the stationary axially symmetric black holes with nonlinear electromagnetic fields. The additional term is proven to be proportional to the integral of the trace of the electromagnetic energy-momentum tensor and can be written as a product of two conjugate variables. From the novel relation we can deduce all previously proposed forms of the generalized Smarr formula, which were derived only for the spherically symmetric black holes, and provide the lowest order quantum correction to the classical relation from the Euler-Heisenberg Lagrangian. We use adjective "geometric" just to emphasize that in these derivations auxiliary physical assumptions are avoided by the approach based on the quantities of geometric origin.

We extend the classical results on the symmetry inheritance of the canonical electromagnetic fields, described by the Maxwell's Lagrangian, to a much wider class of models, which include those of the Born-Infeld, power Maxwell and the Euler-Heisenberg type. Symmetry inheriting fields allow the introduction of electromagnetic scalar potentials and these are proven to be constant on the Killing horizons. Finally, using the relations obtained along the analysis, we generalize and simplify the recent proof for the symmetry inheritance of the 3-dimensional case, as well as give the first constraint for the higher dimensional electromagnetic fields.