Best Tax Software in Germany in 2026

Here are the things you must consider when picking tax software.

• How much do you know about taxes? Not having much German tax knowledge means you need tax software with a good user interface and guided tax filing. If you have good tax knowledge, you can use Elster for free.
• Your income sources. Suppose you have multiple income sources, such as income from outside Germany, rental income, a side hustle, inheritance, etc. You should check whether the tax software offers features that cover all your income sources.
• Profession: Filing a tax return is more complex for the self-employed than for an employee. As a self-employed individual, you must create and submit VAT returns, EÜR, and other financial reports. Thus, ensure your tax software supports your profession. All tax software supports employees. However, they may not cover certain income sources, such as rental income.
• Language: Not all tax software offers an English interface. 
• Pricing: All tax apps are priced similarly. Most tax apps also let you calculate your tax return for free, and will only ask you to pay upon submission. This is the case for all of our tested tax apps. However, there are apps like Check24 and Elster that let you use their services entirely for free. We also identified unique pricing schemes:
  • Taxfix and Steuerbot offer a “Pay Later” option. This means that you pay only after you receive your tax assessment. However, this entails additional costs.
  • Wiso Steuer offers a “pay once, use everything” option that allows you to sync your tax return across different devices via the cloud. For example, you can start filing your tax return on the mobile app and complete it via the installed application on your PC.
  • Smartsteuer lets you file up to 5 tax returns per year without additional costs. This is suitable for individuals who are filing with their spouses or multiple family members.
• Usability: During our review, we found the tax assistance from WISO Steuer, Check24, and SmartSteuer to be the best. Tax assistance means the tax software asks you the right questions to make the best of your tax returns. You don’t need any prior tax knowledge. We also found the “search” functionality to be vital for complex tax returns. It can save you a lot of time and frustration. Not all tax software offers this feature. We also like SteuerBot’s user interface. You chat with a bot and complete your tax return. However, SteuerBot only supports simple cases. 
• Document and invoice handling, such as automatic retrieval of past data or invoice organization. This saves time and reduces manual entry.
• Tax assessment report: Choose a tax app that checks your tax assessment report and helps you file objections, if any.

Using tax software makes filing your German tax return much easier. Its key advantages include

• Wide range of features: Essential tools are in one place, from data import and invoice management to automatic calculations.
• Saves time: You can fill out most of the tax return in just a few clicks using pre-filled tax returns (VaSt). You can also check your tax assessment report (Steuerbescheid) and file objections directly in the tax software.
• Reduces errors: Built-in smart checks detect inconsistencies and calculation mistakes before tax return submission.
• Guided process: Clear instructions, built-in chat support, and other user-friendly tools make filing easy, even without prior tax knowledge.
• Cost-efficient: Using tax software is typically much cheaper than hiring a tax advisor.
• Multi-platform access: Most programs are available via desktop, web browser, or mobile app. Good tax software syncs your tax return data across these platforms, allowing you to file your taxes anytime, anywhere.

What does “pre-filled tax return” mean?

A “pre-filled tax return” feature allows you to import previously reported data into your tax return. It is also called VaSt. In Elster, it is called “Abruf von Bescheinigungen“. 

Pre-filled tax returns include:

• Personal data (e.g., address, date of birth)
• Information reported by your employer
  • Salary
  • Income tax paid to the tax office
  • Solidarity surcharge
  • Withheld church tax
  • Social security contributions
• Pensions
• Unemployment benefits

A “pre-filled tax return” feature helps you complete most of the tax return application. However, you still need to add your work-related and extraordinary expenses to reduce the tax burden.

What expenses can you deduct to save taxes in Germany? ->

What is the electronic tax assessment (Steuerbescheid)?

Tax software & Elster not only help you file the tax return electronically. You can now also get the tax assessment report from the tax office electronically. 

The tax office sends you the tax assessment report (Steuerbescheid) after evaluating your tax return. This report contains the expenses the tax office considered, how much tax you owe or will get back, etc.

It’s recommended that you check your tax assessment report to ensure the tax office has considered all your expenses. Tax software like WISO Steuer* offers a feature to check your tax assessment report for any errors.

Suppose you find an error in your tax assessment report. In this case, you can submit an objection via the tax software directly.

If the tax office requires any proof, you can send it digitally via the tax software or NachDigal (Nachreichung digitaler Unterlagen). NachDigal is a new feature in ELSTER that lets you share documents digitally with the tax office.