simplyELSTERplus is suitable for people who live in Germany, have an ELSTER user account, are employees, do not wish to declare details of children and want to complete their tax return on their own.
With simplyELSTERplus, filing your tax return becomes a new experience: instead of complicated forms, you can expect a modern, user-friendly interface with a clear, guided process that leads you step by step through your tax return.
Try it out - free of charge, secure and surprisingly simple.
Mein ELSTER now offers you the option of storing receipts in your user account to help you prepare your income tax return. You can upload the receipts after Login in the "My receipts" area. Paper receipts can be photographed with the new MeinElster+ app and transferred to your user account. Further information
Visualize e-invoices
With the e-invoice viewer, ELSTER offers the possibility to visualize e-invoices. To the e-invoice viewer
ELSTER - the electronic tax return - is a procedure that allows you to submit your tax return to your tax office electronically via the Internet.
Mein ELSTER: Your online tax office bundles the online services of the tax authorities. You can create and submit your electronic tax return here.
Why can I no longer use ElsterFormular?
ElsterFormular will be switched off in April 2024. Until this date, data transmissions for old years (before 2020) can still be carried out and the ELStAM functions can be used.
You can transfer your data from ElsterFormular to Mein ELSTER or to other software. This saves you having to re-enter the data already entered in ElsterForm. You can start the data export from ElsterFormular under the menu item "Export".
Please note: You must first register with Mein ELSTER. This takes a few days because the access data is sent by post. You can then export from ElsterFormular to Mein ELSTER. It takes about 5 minutes until your data is available in Mein ELSTER after the export. The import of the data is automatically offered to you in Mein ELSTER at the next Login.
Where can I find help?
We are here for you. With the Chat assistants
you can find the contact details of the office responsible for your problem/question.
To do this, select your federal state and your property in the chat.
You will then be offered assistance.
If the help does not lead to success, the contact details will be displayed.
Where can I find information on ELStAM? (Electronic income tax card)
How can I correct errors in my declaration that I discovered after sending it?
You can make a subsequent correction to a return that has already been sent by resending the corrected tax return. Software products provide functions such as copying or data transfer to support this.
Make sure that you submit the correct printed and signed compressed declaration to the relevant tax office if you are still using the "compressed" transmission. If you make the transmission electronically authenticated, no further action is required. As a rule, the last declaration submitted will be processed.
In the case of advance VAT returns and wage tax returns, it is necessary to indicate the correction in the form. If forms such as wage tax certificates offer specific correction and cancellation procedures, these must be used.
Why can't I send my data to the tax office on CD or by e-mail?
This form of transmission is not legally permissible (Section 87a Abs. 1 AO).
Advance sales tax return and wage tax return
The electronic submission of advance VAT returns and income tax returns is required by law. But I don't have a tax number yet, what should I do?
Entrepreneurs who do not yet have a tax number will receive a standardized questionnaire from the responsible tax office when they register their business. This must be completed by the entrepreneur and then forwarded to the tax office. After verification by the tax office, the entrepreneur receives a tax number from the tax office with which he can then submit the advance VAT return or income tax return electronically to the tax office. Electronic transmission without a tax number is not possible for advance VAT returns or wage tax returns.
In cases where an advance VAT return or payroll tax return is to be submitted without a tax number having already been issued, please contact the relevant tax office.They can then check whether the entrepreneurial status has already been recognized, whether a separate tax number may be issued in the case of an income tax return or whether the advance VAT return or income tax return must be submitted in the conventional form (e.g. on paper).
Technical questions
What technical requirements do I have to meet for the electronic tax return?
Your tax data is transmitted via the Internet. In addition to the necessary Internet access, you will need a tax or accounting program that supports ELSTER.
If you use Mein ELSTER, you will find detailed information on the page System requirements.
Which operating systems can ELSTER be used with?
In principle, ELSTER can be used under all operating systems. Please note the system requirements of the Software used (My ELSTERSoftware from third-party providers).
I have problems connecting to ELSTER because the certificate of the ELSTER server is not trusted. How can I fix the problem?
You can view the public certificate of the ELSTER servers on the Security download. Then set up this certificate as a trusted certificate in the application that prevented the connection from being established.
I have Internet access via DATEVnet and would like to use ELSTER. What do I need to bear in mind?
To be able to use the electronic tax return procedure (ELSTER) via DATEVnet, you must store a specific Proxy configuration on your system: Further information at www.datev.de -> Info database -> Search -> Enter number 1033943.
Tax and accounting software with ELSTER function
Which manufacturers of tax return programs support ELSTER?
Please check the programs available on the market or find out more on the Internet. The products known to us with ELSTER functionality can be found without obligation in the Other software products section.
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Note
Please note:
We use DeepL
, an external machine-based service, to translate our texts.
The translation provided by DeepL may not be accurate or reliable. The quality of the translation is continuously improved by DeepL.
Your entries and personal data will not be translated and will never leave the tax administration servers.
Tax forms and filling aids are currently excluded from translation.