Tax advisor or bookkeeping service
You can hand off your ongoing bookkeeping in two ways: the classic route with a tax advisor who bills according to the tax-advisor fee schedule, or with a bookkeeping service like Buchführungsheld at a fixed price from 49 euros per month. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Buchführungsheld handles the ongoing bookkeeping affordably and delivers DATEV-compatible data, and your tax advisor does the year-end closing and tax return on top of it. Here you can see objectively what each path costs and when each pays off.
Updated: July 2026. Prices of other providers are non-binding and subject to change.
Ongoing bookkeeping via a tax advisor versus full-service bookkeeping at a flat rate. The Buchführungsheld column is highlighted, and the figures are deliberately kept honest.
| Criterion | Traditional tax advisor | Buchführungsheld |
|---|---|---|
| Core principle | Bookkeeping, advice, and year-end closing from a single source | ongoing bookkeeping at a flat rate, year-end closing handled by your tax advisor |
| Billing | per StBVV, usually based on transaction value and revenue | fixed monthly price, transparent and easy to calculate |
| Ongoing posting | by the firm or its specialists | by certified bookkeepers |
| Receipt capture | Receipts to the firm, often by mail, folder, or DATEV Unternehmen online | you upload via app or browser, the team posts |
| Preliminary VAT return | created and submitted by the firm | prepared and filed for you |
| Invoice creation (invoicing) | usually not part of bookkeeping, separate tool required | in preparation, available soon |
| Tax consulting | yes, individual tax advice included | no tax advice – that stays with your tax advisor |
| Annual financial statement and tax return | all from a single source through the firm | via your tax advisor, based on coded DATEV data |
| DATEV compatibility | usually works directly in DATEV | DATEV-compatible collaboration and export for your tax advisor |
| Availability | depending on the firm, sometimes longer wait times in peak season | personal bookkeepers, support based in Germany |
| Price per month | for ongoing bookkeeping approx. variable under StBVV, often higher | from €49 (full service for ongoing bookkeeping) |
| Contract commitment | depending on the engagement agreement, often longer-term | cancelable monthly |
As of July 2026. The cost of ongoing bookkeeping with a tax advisor is governed by the German tax advisor fee schedule (StBVV) and depends on the object value and revenue, so no fixed amounts can be given here. You'll get a concrete quote directly from your firm. Buchführungsheld starts at 49 euros per month, is plus 19 percent VAT and is intended exclusively for businesses. As of July 2026, please check with the provider.
Example: a solo self-employed person with around 25 receipts per month. The tax advisor costs for ongoing bookkeeping are variable under the StBVV and are assumed here as a rough guide value.
Calculated savings on your ongoing bookkeeping: often around €70 to €150 per month. For your annual financial statement and tax return, your tax advisor stays on board.
Rough sample calculation. Tax-advisor fees for ongoing bookkeeping depend on the value and turnover under the German tax-advisor fee schedule (StBVV) and vary significantly in individual cases; your firm will give you a binding quote. Buchführungsheld starts at 49 euros per month plus 19 percent VAT. As of July 2026, please verify with the provider.
Honestly, there are cases where going through a tax advisor makes clearly more sense. Buchführungsheld doesn't replace one, it complements one.
If it's important to you that bookkeeping, annual financial statements, tax returns and advice all sit with a single point of contact, the classic tax advisor is the more direct route. Here everything stays bundled in one firm.
For complex tax questions, structuring advice, or special matters, personal advice from a tax advisor is indispensable. A pure bookkeeping service deliberately does not provide this advice.
With nested companies, international ties, or business transactions that need a lot of explanation, the firm plays to its strength. This is where close, individual support pays off.
Switching your ongoing bookkeeping is straightforward, and your tax advisor stays on board for the year-end closing.
In a short, free call, we take a look at your current bookkeeping and clarify what Buchführungsheld takes over and what stays with your tax advisor.
Your existing bookkeeping is imported as a DATEV or CSV file. That way we start into your ongoing bookkeeping cleanly, without losing any data.
From now on, you upload receipts via app or browser. Certified accountants book everything, prepare the VAT return, and deliver DATEV-compatible data for your tax advisor.
See how Buchführungsheld stacks up against other providers and approaches.
Answers about costs, data migration, tax advisors, cancellation, and data protection.
No. Buchführungsheld handles only your ongoing bookkeeping. Your annual financial statement, tax return, and individual tax advice remain the job of your tax advisor. The two complement each other: you save on the routine work, and your tax advisor gets clean DATEV data and can focus on advice and the year-end close.
Yes. Your current bookkeeping is taken over as a DATEV or CSV file, whether it was previously kept at your tax advisor or in a software. Buchführungsheld continues to work in a DATEV-compatible way, so the transition is seamless.
Ongoing bookkeeping at a tax advisor is billed according to the StBVV, usually depending on value and revenue, and for bookkeeping alone it's often more expensive than a fixed price. Reliable fixed amounts can't be given; you'll get a concrete quote from your firm. Buchführungsheld starts at 49 euros per month plus USt. As of July 2026, please verify.
Invoicing is in preparation at Buchführungsheld and coming soon. Today the focus is on complete ongoing bookkeeping: you upload receipts and outgoing invoices, and the team posts everything. For invoicing you currently still need a separate invoicing tool.
Usually not. Your tax advisor stays responsible for your annual financial statement and tax return. Only your ongoing bookkeeping changes, which Buchführungsheld will handle from now on. It makes sense to have a quick chat with your firm so the collaboration is cleanly coordinated. Buchführungsheld itself can be cancelled monthly.
Yes. Buchführungsheld processes all data in a GDPR- and GoBD-compliant way in data centers in Germany.
Above all for the self-employed and small businesses that want to save time and money on routine bookkeeping but still keep a tax advisor for financial statements and advice. If your bookkeeping is manageable and you want to hand off the ongoing work affordably, a bookkeeping service is usually the better fit.
Hand off your bookkeeping
Upload your receipts, and certified bookkeepers take care of the rest. At a flat rate from 49 euros per month, cancelable monthly. Try it free for 7 days.
