Steuerbot vs Taxfix

Steuerbot guides people through preparing and digitally submitting an income tax return to the tax office. Its chat asks straightforward questions and offers added explanations when needed. A prefilled return transfers important tax data into the case for the user to review and confirm. Refund calculation is always free; submitting the return costs €39.99, paid once. A pay-later option has an individual offer, with fees due after the tax refund arrives. Steuerbot supports investment and rental income, but does not support income from self-employment, commercial operations, or agriculture and forestry. It names employees, civil servants, pensioners, and trainees as users for tax returns, and students and school-based trainees for loss carryforwards. The service is available through browser, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. Users can contact support in the app; the maker says trained tax experts respond within 24 hours. Steuerbot says it follows GDPR requirements, transfers data over encrypted HTTPS/SSL connections, and submits tax data through the official ELSTER interface. It says its servers are in Germany and that it retains data for five years after submission for tax office queries.

Taxfix provides digital tax returns that users can prepare themselves or have prepared by independent tax advisers. In Basic, a question-led process guides users through a return and provides an initial refund estimate. The Start plan offers a free estimated refund calculation, with submission through Basic. Taxfix sends returns to the tax office through the official ELSTER interface. Basic works in a browser and through Android and iOS apps. For Expert, users answer questions and upload documents; an adviser reviews and prepares the return for the user to confirm. The listed Expert fee is 20% of the refund, with a minimum of €99.99, and may apply even if the return is not submitted. A separate solution for VAT-liable self-employed people combines bookkeeping, receipt capture, VAT pre-returns, and income tax returns including EÜR. Uploaded receipts and invoices are read for details such as amount, date, and tax rate. Taxfix says it uses encryption, does not share data with third parties, and operates servers mainly in Germany or elsewhere in the EU while observing GoBD and GDPR. Basic is free until submission; individual annual filing costs €39.99 a year, and one-time filing costs €49.99, paid once payment.