Cheap Tax Software for Freelancers in Germany: What Costs What?

ELSTER, the tax office's own software, costs nothing. Programs that guide you through the forms or keep your books cost roughly 8 € to 60 € a month per their pages, WISO Steuer from 35.99 €. Here are the prices side by side, with what each covers. As of 29 October 2026.

Last updated: 29 October 2026. VAT GPT is our product. All prices come from the providers' own pages, retrieved on 29 October 2026; this is no rating.

In short

Price only: ELSTER costs nothing; a program costs money because it guides you or does bookkeeping.
Net or gross: Most providers quote net prices "plus VAT"; VAT GPT quotes prices including VAT.
Same scope: A low price only counts if it includes the returns you must file.

What does tax software cost per month?

Prices per the provider, as of 29 October 2026. Where a provider staggers prices by term, the range runs from the longest to the shortest term:

Provider	Entry	What the price covers per the page	Price note
ELSTER	0 €	The tax office's forms; you fill them in yourself	"kostenlos" (free)
sevDesk	0 € ("Dauerhaft kostenlos.")	Invoicing from 8.90 €; bookkeeping 19.90 to 25.90 €; EÜR and VAT return from the bookkeeping plan	plus VAT, by term
Lexware Office	7.90 €	S to XL: 7.90 / 12.90 / 21.90 / 32.90 €; "Buchhaltung, EÜR und Umsatzsteuer" in version L	plus VAT
Accountable	0 € (invoices only)	Bookkeeping 19.90 €; Taxes 29.90 € (with VAT return); Max 59.90 €	annual plan, plus VAT
WISO Steuer	35.99 € subscription or 45.99 € for one tax year	up to 5 returns, including EÜR, VAT return, trade tax	per the page
VAT GPT	0 € (Free)	Go: 30 days with all Pro features; Pro: 49 € a month or 444 € a year	incl. VAT

Lexware Office also shows discount prices for the first three months; the table lists the regular prices.

What this means for you: Compare like with like: an 8.90 € invoicing app does not file a VAT return.

Which price fits which job?

You only file returns: ELSTER costs nothing. WISO Steuer guides you through the returns for 35.99 € or 45.99 €.
You need bookkeeping and a VAT return: sevDesk, Lexware Office and Accountable connect invoices with the VAT return; the tier with the VAT return is the pricier one at each.
You sell on Amazon or eBay: Sales to other EU countries count. If you are established only in Germany and your distance sales to private customers in other EU countries (together with certain electronic services) exceed 10,000 € net in the previous or the current year, VAT of the country of destination applies (§ 3c(4) UStG); you can then report it through the OSS scheme instead of registering in each country (§ 18j UStG, BZSt: One-Stop-Shop). The retrieved pages of sevDesk, Lexware Office, Accountable and WISO do not mention OSS.

What this means for you: Price the tier that contains your mandatory filings, not the entry price.

How does VAT GPT help here?

VAT GPT turns Amazon and eBay reports into VAT for Germany and the EU (OSS):

Upload: Reports and invoices; the AI reads amounts, countries and tax rates.
Check: You review and confirm the values.
Send: With Pro, the VAT return goes to the tax office through ELSTER and the OSS return to the BZSt.

Not included: VAT GPT is not tax advice. Plans are Free, Go (30 days free with all Pro features) and Pro (49 € a month or 444 € a year, incl. VAT). Try it free

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest tax software for freelancers in Germany? Per the providers' pages, ELSTER costs nothing. Programs with guidance or bookkeeping start at single or double-digit euro amounts per month; what is included differs.

Is there free tax software? ELSTER is free; sevDesk, Accountable and VAT GPT name a free entry with limited scope.

Are the prices net or gross? sevDesk, Lexware Office and Accountable quote net prices plus VAT; VAT GPT quotes prices including VAT.