Steuerbot

Overview

Steuerbot is a German income-tax return service that uses a chat to guide preparation and supports digital submission to the tax office. It suits employees, civil servants, retirees and trainees whose income falls within its supported cases. Its strongest advantage is being able to calculate a refund for free before committing to a paid submission.

That low-risk starting point and the guided questions make it a practical choice for relatively straightforward returns. It is not suitable for self-employed people or anyone with income from a business, agriculture or forestry, so eligibility should come before convenience.

Key features

Guided preparation

Steuerbot asks simple questions and supplies extra explanations when needed, rather than presenting tax forms as the main route through a return. This can help users who want prompts as they work, but the chat does not broaden the kinds of income the app accepts.

Pre-filled tax data and support

A pre-filled return brings important tax data into the case for the user to confirm. Users can also contact support through the app; Steuerbot says trained tax experts respond within 24 hours. That offers a route to assistance, while leaving users responsible for checking the entries before submission.

Income and data handling

Steuerbot supports investment and rental income, but not self-employment or income from a trade, agriculture or forestry. It names employees, civil servants, retirees and trainees as return users, and students and school trainees as users who can file loss carryforwards.

The provider says it follows GDPR, transfers data over encrypted HTTPS/SSL connections, sends tax data through the official ELSTER interface and runs its servers in Germany. It also says it retains submitted data for five years to handle possible questions from the tax office. These are relevant assurances for a service handling tax records, though the retention period is worth bearing in mind for privacy-conscious users.

Pricing

Steuerbot is freemium: calculating a refund is free, and submission costs €39.99, paid once. Users can work out a potential refund without paying, then decide whether to submit through the service. The free option does not include filing, so it is useful for estimating but not a complete no-cost return service.

A pay-later option is also available: fees fall due after the tax office has paid the refund, under an individual offer. Because the offer is individual, it is not a fixed-price substitute for the 39.99 EUR submission. It may suit someone who wants to defer payment, but users should consider their offer before choosing it.

Platforms

Steuerbot offers apps for Android, iOS, macOS and Windows, plus a browser-based web app. The range gives users desktop and mobile access to the same service, rather than limiting preparation to a phone or computer.

Who it's for

Steuerbot is best for employees, civil servants, retirees, trainees and eligible students who want a guided return and have supported income. People with investment or rental income may also fit, provided their overall tax situation does not include an excluded income type.

It is the wrong choice for self-employed users and those with business, agricultural or forestry income. Anyone whose return depends on those cases should choose a service that supports them rather than starting a Steuerbot return they cannot complete.

Pros and cons

Free refund calculation: users can estimate a refund before deciding whether a 39.99 EUR submission is worthwhile.

Guided questions and pre-filled data: prompts, explanations and data to confirm can reduce the burden of assembling a return from scratch.

In-app access to tax experts: the provider says trained support staff respond within 24 hours, giving users a route to help during preparation.

Narrow income eligibility: self-employment and business, agricultural and forestry income are excluded, ruling out important groups of taxpayers.

Pay-later price varies by offer: payment follows receipt of a refund, but the individual offer does not provide a standard fee to compare upfront.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, browse tax preparation software or personal tax software.

WISO Steuer is worth considering if you want to test all functions before submitting and need platforms including Linux; its free test version charges only when you file. smartsteuer may fit someone who wants a fixed annual price and up to five submissions for one tax year, though it has no free plan. Both offer Android, iOS, web and desktop access.

TaxSlayer is an alternative for US federal and state returns, with a free tier covering one federal and one state return. 1040.com may suit US filers who want federal and state returns at one flat monthly price, with Schedule C self-employment filing included. FreeTaxUSA offers a free federal return with e-file and printable-return support for US tax filers.

H&R Block Online is another option for simple US tax situations, with a free online plan for Form 1040. StudioTax may suit eligible Canadian users, including those with income of $20,000 or less or residents of the Northern Territories. UFile offers a free online return for qualifying taxpayers, including students and simple-return filers.

Verdict

Choose Steuerbot if you have supported income, prefer a guided chat and want to calculate a potential refund before paying to submit. The free calculation and 39.99 EUR filing fee make that decision straightforward; the main reason to look elsewhere is an unsupported income source, especially self-employment or business income.