ELSTER alternative for online sellers: Mein ELSTER or software?

Do you sell on Amazon or eBay and wonder whether Mein ELSTER is enough? With few sales you can fill in everything there yourself, free of charge according to the ELSTER start page. With figures in Amazon and eBay reports, software pays off: VAT GPT imports the reports and breaks down German and EU VAT (OSS).

Last updated: 27 October 2026. All statements about ELSTER, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) and VAT GPT refer to the position on 21 October 2026.

In short

Mein ELSTER is enough: few sales, figures already compiled, no OSS sales.
Software pays off: with many marketplace transactions, several returns from one account and invoices as an upload.
OSS return: a separate form in the BZStOnline Portal, not in Mein ELSTER.

What options do I have besides the form in Mein ELSTER?

Anyone who has to file an advance VAT return submits it in the officially prescribed data set via the officially designated interface (§ 18 para. 1 sentence 1 UStG); the same applies to the annual VAT return (§ 18 para. 3 sentence 1 UStG). Only on application can the tax office waive electronic transmission to avoid undue hardship and allow the official form (§ 18 para. 1 sentence 2 and para. 3 sentence 3 UStG). For entering and sending the figures you have two ways:

Fill in Mein ELSTER yourself: free of charge, as the ELSTER start page says; which forms there are is listed in the section “What can I fill in myself in Mein ELSTER?”.
Software that supports ELSTER: In the ELSTER software directory the manufacturers of 636 software products state that their software supports ELSTER (as of 21 October 2026). There you select the operating system and the supported forms and functions, for example advance VAT return, income surplus statement (EÜR) or trade tax return. VAT GPT is listed there as well.

You can combine both ways: for the advance VAT return you can upload the XML file of a software product in Mein ELSTER. Which way fits better depends mainly on how you get to your figures; you find the comparison of Mein ELSTER and VAT GPT below, and we compare several programs side by side on the page VAT return software in Germany for Amazon sellers compared 2026.

What can I fill in myself in Mein ELSTER?

Cost: On the ELSTER start page, Mein ELSTER is described, among other things, as “Free of charge” (“Kostenlos”).
Forms for entrepreneurs: Advance VAT return (requirement “entrepreneur”, you choose the advance return period in the form), annual VAT return, income surplus statement (Anlage EÜR), trade tax return (GewSt 1 A) and income tax return (ESt 1 A).
Data from other software: For the advance VAT return you can upload an XML file from other providers' software.
Filling in the form: The ELSTER guide to the advance return 2026 lists the sections of the form, for example supplies and other services, intra-Community acquisitions and deductible input VAT amounts.
Getting started: You need a user account. On the registration page there is the note “I am a sole proprietor or solo self-employed person. Which account type should I choose?”.

Where do I file the OSS return?

The OSS return is a separate form in the BZStOnline portal of the Federal Central Tax Office. The BZSt lists it as “tax return (optionally using an import function)”. A certificate is needed for the login; an existing ELSTER certificate can be used for this. A requirement is that you have applied to the BZSt to take part in the OSS. The next deadline, for the third quarter, is 31 October; the details are on our page OSS return for online sellers.

How do Mein ELSTER and VAT GPT differ?

	Mein ELSTER	VAT GPT
Price	free of charge (ELSTER start page)	Free, Go and Pro, prices in the section “How VAT GPT helps”
Advance VAT return	Form in Mein ELSTER	prepare and send directly to the tax office via ELSTER with Pro
Annual VAT return	Form	prepare and send via ELSTER with Pro
EÜR	Form “Anlage EÜR”	prepare and send via ELSTER with Pro
Trade tax	Form GewSt 1 A	prepare and send via ELSTER with Pro
Income tax	Form ESt 1 A	prepare and send via ELSTER with Pro
OSS return	separate form in the BZStOnline portal	calculate and send directly to the BZSt with Pro
Taking over data	for the advance return: upload an XML file from other providers' software	import Amazon and eBay CSV reports

Sources: elster.de and bzst.de (German-language pages; quotes are our translations), retrieved on 21 October 2026; VAT GPT: the provider's list of features and prices. The sources are listed at the bottom of this page.

When is Mein ELSTER enough on its own?

You have only a few sales per month, the figures are already compiled (for example in a spreadsheet) and you enter them into the form yourself.
You already have ELSTER access and are comfortable with the forms.
You have no sales to private customers in other EU countries to which the OSS applies (more on this on our page OSS return for online sellers).

In these cases Mein ELSTER is a good choice: it sits directly at the online tax office.

When does software pay off as an ELSTER alternative?

Many marketplace transactions: VAT GPT imports Amazon and eBay CSV reports and breaks down the VAT for Germany and the EU (OSS).
Several returns from one account: Advance VAT return (monthly or quarterly) and annual VAT return, EÜR, trade tax and income tax as well as the OSS return.
Receipts: You upload invoices, the AI reads amounts, countries and tax rates – you check and confirm.

How VAT GPT helps

Upload: You upload your Amazon or eBay CSV report and your invoices.
Check: VAT GPT prepares the advance return and calculates the OSS return. You check and confirm.
Send: With VAT GPT Pro it goes via ELSTER to the tax office, the OSS return directly to the BZSt.

There is Free (basic features, free of charge), Go (30 days free with all Pro features) and Pro (€49 per month or €444 per year, each including VAT). Sending the advance VAT return, the annual VAT return, the EÜR, the trade tax and income tax returns and the OSS return is part of Pro. Try for Free Now

Frequently asked questions about ELSTER and software

Is there an alternative to ELSTER? For the form in Mein ELSTER, yes: software whose manufacturers state that it supports ELSTER. The ELSTER software directory lists such products; the information comes from the manufacturers. The tax office waives electronic transmission only on application, to avoid undue hardship (§ 18 para. 1 sentence 2 UStG).

Where do I find software that supports ELSTER? In the ELSTER software directory on elster.de. There you select the operating system and the supported forms and functions, for example advance VAT return.

Is Mein ELSTER really free of charge? On the ELSTER start page “Free of charge” (“Kostenlos”) is listed among the benefits.

Can I take over data from other software into ELSTER? For the advance VAT return you can upload an XML file from other providers' software.

Where do I submit the OSS return? In the BZStOnline portal; the tax return is available there optionally with an import function, and the login also works with an existing ELSTER certificate.

What do I need to get started in Mein ELSTER? A user account; you find the registration under “Create user account” (“Benutzerkonto erstellen”) on elster.de.

Is VAT GPT in the ELSTER software directory? Yes, VAT GPT is listed there. The information in the directory comes from the manufacturers themselves.

Do I need Pro to send my returns and reports? For the advance VAT return, the annual VAT return, the EÜR, the trade tax and income tax returns and the OSS return: yes, sending is part of VAT GPT Pro. Go includes all Pro features free of charge for 30 days.