Digital bookkeeping services

As a new entrepreneur, you are normally obliged to submit advance VAT returns on a monthly basis, unless the tax office (Finanzamt) informs you otherwise. Later, a quarterly or annual return is also possible. This option depends on the turnover of your company and the assessment of the responsible tax office.

In this case, the tax office can impose late-payment penalties or surcharges for the delay, which lead to unnecessary additional costs for you.

The tax office can apply late-payment penalties or surcharges as well as other penalties. In the event of a long delay, the tax office will independently estimate your tax base. These estimates are always at a clear disadvantage to the taxpayer.

For more information: Double-entry bookkeeping for entrepreneurs: An introduction

• firma.de master datasheet (Stammdatenblatt)
• Copy of your identity card or passport
• Trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung)
• Notarised articles of association (Gesellschaftsvertrag)
• Certificate of incorporation, registration in the commercial register
  (Handelsregisterauszug, Anmeldung zum Handelsregister)
• Tax registration questionnaire (Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung)
• Tax number (Steuernummer)
• VAT identification number (Umsatzsteuer-Identifikationsnummer)

• Monthly bank statement (Bankauszug) with opening (Anfangsbestand) and closing balance (Endbestand ) (also necessary even if there were no account transactions in order to check the bank balance)
• Cashbook (Kassenbuch) and the corresponding receipts (if applicable)
• Incoming invoices (Eingangsrechnungen)
• Outgoing invoices (Ausgangsrechnungen)
• Travel expense accounts/logbook (Reisekostenabrechnungen, Fahrtenbuch)
• Other supporting documents (if applicable)
• Entertainment receipts (Bewirtungsbelege)
• Receipts (Quittungen)
• Fuel receipts (Tankbelege)
• Payroll journal (Lohnjournal)
• Credit card statements (Kreditkartenabrechnungen)
• Rental contracts/loan agreements (Mietverträge, Darlehensverträge)

The deadline for submitting advance VAT returns (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldungen) and for making advance VAT payments (Umsatzsteuer-Vorauszahlungen) can be extended by one month by applying to the tax office (§ 46 UStDV).

Important: Anyone who is obliged to submit a monthly advance VAT return will only receive the Dauerfristverlängerung on condition that a special advance payment (Sondervorauszahlung) is made to the tax office.

The Sondervorauszahlung (special advance payment) amounts to one eleventh of the total of the advance payments for tax on sales/purchases of the previous year. Your special advance payment is offset against the subsequent advance payment for tax on sales/purchases.

Info for our customers: If you receive a Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent extension), we do not need your data until the 10th of the following month.

Newly incorporated companies are obliged to submit monthly advance VAT returns (Umsatzsteuervoranmeldungen) and therefore also keep up-to-date monthly accounts. The deadline for submitting the advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) is always the 10th day of the following month or, if you’ve been granted a Dauerfristverlängerung, one month later. A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent deadline extension) must first be applied for. We can do this for you.

Example:

Deadlines for submission of a VAT return for January to the tax office (Finanzamt) are as follows:

• Without Dauerfristverlängerung = 10 February
• With Dauerfristverlängerung = 10 March

We will send you the transmission protocol (Übertragungsprotokoll) to confirm that your tax return has been submitted. This means that you do not have to submit the return yourself.

You have the following options when it comes to financial contributions post-incorporation:

Option one: Deposits are treated as loans, ie you need a loan agreement which is concluded between you and the company.

Option two: Contributions are posted as capital reserves (Kapitalrücklage) which serve to increase the share capital (Stammkapital) (§ 272 para. 2 HGB)

Simple private contributions and withdrawals by shareholders are not possible for incorporated companies.

Yes, that is not a problem. In this case, you'll need to send a data transfer (in DATEV) or the Buchungsstapel (literally this translates to ‘booking stack’, which essentially is a batch file) as a DATEV export.

In order to be able to post the receipts correctly as expenses, we need a replacement receipt. You have two options:

• Requesting a copy of the receipt from the vendor (input tax deduction possible)
• Internal document with indication of the delivery or service (no input tax deduction possible)

Alternatively, you can also choose not to post the expense. Then no receipt is necessary. However, the entries must be categorised as non-deductible business expenses, which will consequently increase the tax liability of your company.

Yes, this is possible if you do not submit your documentation in the proper way, if data is missing or if corrections need to be made. If this occurs, it requires action that goes beyond the scope of the fixed-price package. You will, therefore, be charged for any additional work. You will find a detailed overview of this in our terms and conditions.

Businesses with a small annual turnover can be exempted from VAT by applying to the tax office for the small businesses scheme, called the Kleinunternehmerregelung.

Conditions:

• Gross annual turnover (Brutto-Jahresumsatz) less than €22,000 (until the end of 2019 still €17,500) in the previous year
• Planned gross annual turnover of less than €50,000 in the current year
• Deductions may not be offset

The Kleinunternehmerregelung may be used by sole proprietors (Einzelunternehmer), freelancers (Freiberufler), partnerships (eg GbR) and corporations (eg UG, GmbH). It is also particularly suitable for companies in the start-up phase or holding companies that are not generating revenue.

DATEV Unternehmen online is the only digital solution you need for your bookkeeping. The app is not only the place to instantly transer your company's data to your tax adviser, but is also where you can access your monthly reports that he or she creates for you.

The online app is by DATEV - Germany's number one accounting software providers in Germany that is used by over 40,000 tax advisers.