Free Tax Software for the Self-Employed in Germany: What Is Really Free?

Free for the self-employed means above all Mein ELSTER, the tax administration's portal. Besides it there are programs that are free per the provider or cost money only when you file. Check first that the program covers your returns: income tax with the EÜR (profit statement), trade tax if you run a trade business, and the VAT return if you charge VAT. As of 29 October 2026.

Last updated: 29 October 2026. Statements about other programs come from their own sites, retrieved on 29 October 2026; this is not a rating of those programs.

In short

Always free: per ELSTER, Mein ELSTER is free; you fill in the forms yourself.
Free until you file: per Buhl, the WISO Steuer trial costs EUR 0.00 and you pay when you submit.
Free with limits: CHECK24 Steuer calls itself "completely free"; the site does not say whether EÜR and VAT are included.

Which programs are free, which only until filing?

Prices and statements per each provider, retrieved on 29 October 2026:

Program	Cost per provider	Self-employed reference per its site
Mein ELSTER	free	fill in forms yourself, also on tablet and smartphone
CHECK24 Steuer	"completely free", EUR 0.00	lists the self-employed as a target group; EÜR and VAT not mentioned
WISO Steuer (Buhl)	trial EUR 0.00, payment on submission; Vorteils-Abo EUR 35.99	"from VAT and VAT returns through income tax and EÜR to trade tax"
VAT GPT Free	basic functions, free	sending with Pro: EUR 49 per month or EUR 444 per year, incl. VAT

Sources: ELSTER, CHECK24 Steuer, Buhl: tax return for the self-employed.

What this means for you: "Free" often means "free to try"; read what is due when you send.

Which returns must a self-employed person file electronically?

This decides what a free program must do:

Income tax with the Anlage EÜR: you send the EÜR electronically in the officially prescribed data format (§ 60 para. 4 EStDV).
Trade tax return: only for a trade business, also electronically (§ 14a GewStG).
VAT return (Voranmeldung): only if you are not a Kleinunternehmer (small-business exemption); it goes to the tax office electronically (§ 18 para. 1 UStG).

What this means for you: A free program is only useful if it contains exactly these forms.

When is a free program enough, and when not?

Enough: few receipts, one return a year, and you like filling in forms yourself.
Often not enough: many invoices or marketplace reports, several returns from the same figures, VAT returns every quarter.

Per ELSTER, Mein ELSTER is free; how much work the forms take depends on your receipts (Tax software for the self-employed).

What this means for you: Count your time, not only the price.

How does VAT GPT help?

VAT GPT is our product and is built for Amazon and eBay sellers in Germany. The method: Upload – check – send.

Upload: Amazon and eBay reports as CSV, plus invoices and receipts; the AI reads amounts, countries and tax rates.
Check: you review and confirm the values.
Send: with Pro through ELSTER to the tax office, the OSS return to the BZSt.

Free has basic functions and is free; Go gives you 30 days of all Pro functions for free. Sending is a Pro function (EUR 49 per month or EUR 444 per year, incl. VAT). VAT GPT is not tax advice. Try for free

What this means for you: If you sell on Amazon or eBay, the Go trial month is worth it; otherwise Mein ELSTER is often enough.

Frequently asked questions

Which tax program is free and good? Per ELSTER, Mein ELSTER is free. Whether a program is "good" depends on your returns: check that EÜR, trade tax and the VAT return are included.

Is CHECK24 Steuer suitable for the self-employed? The site lists the self-employed as a target group and calls the program "completely free"; it does not mention EÜR or VAT (CHECK24 Steuer). Ask before you start.

Do I have to pay to file? With Mein ELSTER, not per ELSTER. With WISO Steuer you pay on submission per Buhl.

Does sending cost extra with VAT GPT? Yes: sending is part of Pro, EUR 49 per month or EUR 444 per year, incl. VAT.