Best AI Tax Software in Germany 2026: What the Programs Do with AI
The best AI tax software is the one whose AI takes over exactly your work: answering questions, reading receipts or preparing returns. According to their own pages, WISO Steuer (assistant SteuerGPT), sevDesk and BuchhaltungsButler (receipt recognition) and VAT GPT (reading invoices, breaking down marketplace reports) do that; as of 29 October 2026.
Last updated: 29 October 2026. VAT GPT is our product; the statements about the others come from their pages, retrieved on 29 October 2026. No AI replaces your review: you stay responsible for the return.
In short
- Ask questions: WISO Steuer has SteuerGPT, a chat assistant for tax questions.
- Have receipts read: sevDesk (from the Buchhaltung plan), BuchhaltungsButler and VAT GPT read invoices with AI.
- Seller figures: VAT GPT reads invoices and splits Amazon and eBay reports by Germany and EU (OSS); you check and send.
What does AI do in tax software?
AI appears in three places:
- Chat assistant: answers questions in everyday language.
- Receipt recognition: reads amounts, dates, countries and tax rates from invoices.
- Check before sending: points out unusual entries.
Tax responsibility stays with you. Returns go to the tax office electronically, for example via ELSTER.
What this means for you: decide first which of the three jobs you want to hand over, and check whether the AI only reads or can also send.
AI features compared
A dash ("–") means: not stated explicitly on the retrieved pages. It says nothing about whether the feature exists. The table is not a ranking.
| Provider | AI feature, per the provider | Where included | Sending to the tax office from the software |
|---|---|---|---|
| WISO Steuer | SteuerGPT: "like a chat with a tax expert"; shows which input form your entries belong in; checks the return before submission | "only at WISO Steuer" (from the 2023 tax return) | page names submission of the return |
| sevDesk | "AI-supported receipt capture" (KI-gestützte Belegerfassung) | from the Buchhaltung plan (EUR 25.90 per month net, 1-month term) | VAT advance return "directly to the tax office" |
| BuchhaltungsButler | "AI-supported receipt recognition" captures invoice parameters automatically | listed in the feature set; assignment to packages not readable | VAT advance return via ELSTER integration |
| VAT GPT | upload invoices: "the AI reads amounts, countries and tax rates – you check and confirm" | Free; sending with Pro (EUR 49 per month or EUR 444 per year, incl. VAT) | yes, with Pro via ELSTER; OSS to the BZSt |
| smartsteuer | AI not mentioned on the retrieved page | – | return is sent to the tax office |
| Taxfix | AI not mentioned on the retrieved home page | – | – |
| ELSTER | – | – | yes, free in Mein ELSTER |
| DATEV | – | – | via the tax office |
| Lexware Office | – | – | – |
| SteuerGo | – | – | online submission to the tax office |
What this means for you: AI comes in different roles. A chat assistant and receipt recognition do not solve the same problem.
Which AI tax software fits whom?
You have tax questions and fill in the return yourself. WISO Steuer describes SteuerGPT as an assistant that answers questions in everyday language, shows the right input form and checks your return before submission.
What this means for you: it fits if you fill in a classic tax return and want help understanding it.
You book receipts continuously. sevDesk and BuchhaltungsButler capture receipts with AI; according to their pages both offer the VAT advance return with ELSTER transmission.
What this means for you: it fits if you have many receipts every month and want to involve a tax office or a DATEV export.
You sell on Amazon and eBay. VAT GPT reads invoices with AI and breaks marketplace reports down by Germany and EU (OSS). The method is Upload – check – send:
- Upload: invoices and Amazon or eBay reports.
- Check: you review and confirm what the AI read.
- Send: with Pro via ELSTER to the tax office; the OSS return to the BZSt.
What this means for you: it fits if your figures come from marketplace reports and you want VAT, OSS and annual returns in one account.
Why we recommend VAT GPT
Our opinion, based on app functions:
- Upload: Amazon and eBay CSV reports are uploaded, the AI reads and breaks them down, and the returns are prepared in the same account.
- Check: you check and confirm before anything is sent.
- Send: with Pro, advance return, EÜR, trade tax and income tax go via ELSTER, OSS to the BZSt.
VAT GPT also creates e-invoices as ZUGFeRD and XRechnung.
VAT GPT is not tax advice. There is Free (free), Go (30 days free with all Pro functions) and Pro. Try it free
What this means for you: test with your real reports; that shows faster than any table whether the reading is correct.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an AI that does my whole tax return? According to the retrieved pages the programs support you; you check and confirm.
What is SteuerGPT? According to WISO, an AI assistant in WISO Steuer that answers tax questions in everyday language.
Can AI read invoices for tax purposes? Yes, sevDesk, BuchhaltungsButler and VAT GPT say so on their pages.
What does VAT GPT cost? Free; Go 30 days free with all Pro functions; Pro EUR 49 per month or EUR 444 per year, each incl. VAT.
Further reading
- Best tax software for small businesses and freelancers
- Best EÜR software
- Which taxes does an Amazon seller pay in Germany? Overview
Not tax advice: this content does not replace individual advice.