smartsteuer

Overview

smartsteuer is an online German tax-return service for employees, self-employed people, retirees and students. It suits filers who want a guided route through preparation and electronic submission in a browser, including people with self-employment or rental income. The €39.99 annual plan is sensible for mainstream returns, but specialist agricultural and forestry cases need another solution.

Its strongest practical advantage is reducing repetitive work: tax-office data can pre-fill a return, previous-year information can be carried forward, and bookkeeping data can flow in from Lexware Office. That convenience is balanced by a clear scope boundary around certain profit determinations.

Key features

The guided interview asks for relevant information step by step instead of presenting an undifferentiated form set. That structure is helpful for first-time filers and anyone who wants a defined path through a return, while experienced users may prefer direct form entry.

VaSt retrieves tax data from the tax office for a pre-filled return, and prior-year transfer avoids retyping recurring details. These features save effort for returning filers, but the resulting entries still require a careful check against the current year.

smartCheck reviews a return for errors, plausibility problems and possible tax-saving opportunities before filing. It is a useful second pass rather than a substitute for understanding unusual circumstances. ELSTER transmission sends the completed return electronically to the tax office, and amended returns are supported.

Self-employed users can send EÜR data directly from Lexware Office bookkeeping through its interface. Support for rental income broadens the service beyond simple employee returns. Special cases such as profit determination for agriculture and forestry cannot be recorded, making smartsteuer unsuitable for those taxpayers.

Support combines email at [email protected] with an AI chatbot that provides tax answers around the clock. Data is encrypted and stored in German data centres; smartsteuer cites PCI DSS and SAS 70 Type IIb standards and says its systems receive regular checks from Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) alongside ongoing internal security tests.

Pricing

The smartsteuer plan costs €39.99 a year, billed per tax year. It includes five submissions for one tax year, electronic filing, amended returns, self-employed support and rental-income support. That allowance fits households or advisers who need several submissions in the same year; a single filer does not receive a cheaper single-submission tier.

There is no free plan, but a free trial is available. Payment supports PayPal, SEPA direct debit, credit cards and other online methods. The five-submission quota and per-tax-year billing matter if several people will file or if corrections are likely.

Platforms

smartsteuer runs in a browser on desktop, tablet and smartphone, with no download or installation. It supports web, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows, so users can switch devices while retaining a browser-based workflow.

Who it's for

Employees, retirees and students who want guided preparation, pre-filled data and ELSTER submission are the core audience. Self-employed people benefit when their accounts are in Lexware Office, and landlords can use the rental-income support. Choose another product if your return requires agricultural or forestry profit determination or a more specialised treatment of excluded cases.

Pros and cons

Pros

Guided interview: step-by-step questions keep routine filers from having to navigate every form.

Less re-entry: VaSt pre-filling and prior-year transfer reduce repeated typing.

Pre-filing review: smartCheck flags errors, plausibility issues and potential tax savings.

Broad everyday coverage: self-employment, rental income and amended returns are included.

Convenient access: browser use across major desktop and mobile platforms requires no installation.

Cons

Excluded specialist case: agriculture and forestry profit determination cannot be recorded.

Paid-only product: there is no free plan, and the standard purchase is tied to one tax year.

Fixed allowance: the plan permits five submissions, which may be unnecessary for a lone filer but limiting for larger-volume use.

Alternatives

Pick WISO Steuer if you want a free test version with all functions and pay only when submitting; it also offers the same broad platform range. Steuerbot is the better fit when a free refund calculation is enough and submission can be purchased once for 39.99 EUR. For US returns, TaxSlayer, 1040.com, FreeTaxUSA or H&R Block Online provide US-focused alternatives with free options. StudioTax and UFile are Canadian-oriented choices with free tiers for eligible filers.

Browse Tax Preparation Software or Personal Tax Software for broader comparisons.

Verdict

Choose smartsteuer for a German return that benefits from guided questions, imported tax data, prior-year transfer and ELSTER filing, especially when self-employment or rental income is involved. Look elsewhere when agriculture or forestry profit determination is essential, or when a genuinely free plan matters more than the convenience of its five-submission annual package.