Download PayPal reports for your tax records

In brief

• Transaction report: the activity list, Download icon, Custom, pick the report, follow the prompts, Download.
• Monthly statement: paypal.com/reports/accountStatements, Request next to the month, then Download.
• Period: up to seven years back, up to 12 months per request; formats PDF, Quicken, QuickBooks, CSV or TAB.
• Time: large reports can take up to 5 business days according to PayPal; PayPal emails you.

How do I download the PayPal report?

This is how PayPal describes the route on the web:

1. Go to the activity list ("History" in PayPal's English help).
2. Click the Download icon.
3. Click Custom.
4. Select the report that is most suitable for you.
5. Follow the prompts to create and generate your report.
6. When the report is ready, click Download.

For the monthly statements:

1. Go to paypal.com/reports/accountStatements.
2. Click Request next to the month you are looking for.
3. When the report is ready, click Download.

PayPal points out that the information it provides is not tax advice. Menu names can change; the help in your own PayPal account is what counts.

How do I get a quarter or a year?

A request can include up to 12 months of activity at a time. A quarter and a whole year therefore fit in one request. PayPal's help does not describe how you choose the period; the prompts show it when you create the report. If they allow a free date range, pick 1 January to 31 December for the year. The monthly statements, by contrast, you request month by month.

Large files take time: depending on the server load, generating can take up to 5 business days, and PayPal emails you. PayPal saves the last three completed large files; small files download immediately and are not saved. So download each file and file it yourself.

Which format should I take?

You can choose PDF, Quicken, QuickBooks, CSV and TAB. Comma-delimited files open as Excel spreadsheets, tab-delimited files as .txt documents. For evaluation and import take CSV, for filing add the PDF of the statement.

What the file does for your taxes

For the EÜR. Taxpayers who are not obliged to keep books and do not keep books can take as profit the surplus of business income over business expenses (section 4(3) sentence 1 EStG). The report gives you the incoming payments and the fees as rows. Whether a fee is a business expense is in EÜR business expenses: list.

For the sum of fees. PayPal's help describes how to total the fees in Excel: select the row with the subjects ("Date", "Time", "Name", etc.), set a filter and add up the column with AutoSum. Total fees, taxes and shipping separately.

For VAT on sales. Tax rate and country per order are in the report of the platform where the order sits, for example the Etsy sales report, the Shopify tax report or the eBay transaction report. The PayPal report adds the payments. If you calculate VAT on consideration received (section 20 UStG), the tax arises at the end of the return period in which you received the payment (section 13(1) no. 1(b) UStG); for that you need the incoming payments: Cash vs accrual VAT in Germany: Ist and Soll.

For VAT on the fees. Whether PayPal fees carry VAT and whether you can claim input VAT is in PayPal fees and VAT in Germany.

Keep the files

File the downloaded files with your records. Which periods apply to which document, and what applies to digital storage, is in How long to keep receipts.

Common mistakes

• Requesting the report on the day of the tax adviser appointment. Large reports can take up to 5 business days.
• Choosing more than 12 months in one request. A request covers up to 12 months.
• Relying on PayPal to keep the file. PayPal saves the last three completed large files.
• Evaluating the PayPal payments without the order data. Tax rate and country per sale are in the report of your shop or marketplace; under cash-basis VAT you also need the incoming payments from PayPal.

How VAT GPT helps

VAT GPT is the tax software for Amazon and eBay sellers in Germany: your OSS return first, then every other tax you owe, calculated and filed in one place.

1. You upload your Amazon and eBay CSV reports and your invoices.
2. The AI reads amounts, countries and tax rates, and VAT GPT breaks the VAT down for Germany and the EU (OSS). You check and confirm.
3. With VAT GPT Pro you send the VAT return through ELSTER and the OSS return to the BZSt. The EÜR, trade tax and income tax returns are made in the same account.

There is Free, Go (30 days free with all Pro features) and Pro (€49 per month or €444 per year, including VAT). Try for free now

Not tax advice: the content does not replace individual advice.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find the PayPal activity report? In the activity list: Download icon, Custom, pick the report.

How far back can I go? According to PayPal up to seven years, with up to 12 months per request.

Which formats are there? PDF, Quicken, QuickBooks, CSV or TAB.

Where is the monthly statement? At paypal.com/reports/accountStatements: Request next to the month, then Download.

Read next

• PayPal fees and VAT in Germany
• Download your Etsy sales report
• Download the Shopify tax report
• How long to keep receipts
• EÜR business expenses: list

Sources

• PayPal Help: How do I view and download statements and reports?
• Section 4 EStG
• Section 13 UStG