Self-employed in Germany? How to file your Einkommensteuererklärung in 9 Steps

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Once a year, everyone who is self-employed in Germany has to file an income tax return, the Einkommensteuererklärung. It sounds intimidating, but it's far less complicated than the name suggests.

In this guide, you'll learn exactly how to prepare your income tax return step by step with Accountable and send it directly to the Finanzamt (your local tax office).

Accountable makes sure your data is correct with smart tax checks, an AI Tax Advisor and the tax guarantee. It guides you step by step through the tax filing, showing you the estimated tax or refund live throughout the whole flow, so you monitor your entries while filing.

One thing to keep in mind: the income tax return isn't the only annual filing on your list. Alongside it, you'll also need to submit your EÜR and your annual VAT return (Umsatzsteuerjahreserklärung).

In order to submit your tax returns directly from Accountable you'll need the Steuern plan or higher. You can find a current overview of what each plan includes on the pricing page.

Video: Complete your German income tax return with Accountable

As a self-employed professional, freelancer, or small business owner, you can complete your income tax return with Accountable. That means your income tax return, finally done by yourself, without a tax advisor, without the stress, and all from one app.

Here's how to file your Einkommensteuererklärung in 9 simple steps with Accountable.

Step 1: Enter your income and expenses

Before anything else, make sure all of your income from the year, invoices, cash payments and so on, is recorded in Accountable.

Then do the same for your business expenses. For an expense to count in your EÜR, it either needs a document attached - the original receipt or invoice - or you need to mark it as justified without a document (rent backed by a contract, for example).

Two more rules are easy to overlook:

• Expenses only count if they were actually paid in that year, so each one needs a payment date within the year
• Invoices only count once they're marked as paid. Unpaid invoices are left out of your return

💡It's worth being thorough here: every legitimate expense reduces your profit, which in turn lowers the amount of tax you'll ultimately have to pay.

Step 2: Open the income tax section in your Accountable account

Now it's time for the remaining details your tax return needs. Go to the Accountable website and log in. In the side menu, open the tax screen, in your list of tax obligations, you'll find the Einkommensteuererklärung. Click on it to start filling it in.

Step 3: Check your personal details

Accountable now guides you through the mandatory information for your return. First up: your personal details. Double-check that everything is correct, and enter your Steuernummer (your tax number for income tax) and the Finanzamt responsible for you. The screen also asks for civil status, address, federal state, profession, religion and a refund IBAN.

Step 4: Add any additional income

Next, you'll see the figures from your EÜR (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung). It shows your income, deductible expenses, depreciation and taxable profit), then employment income from payslips and "substitute income" (parental allowance, sickness benefit, etc.).

Are you employed alongside your self-employment? Then this is where you enter the figures from your Lohnsteuerbescheinigung, the annual wage tax statement from your employer. The same goes for unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosengeld) or other state support you may have received during the year.

There is a separate "Additional income" step for capital gains, plus rental income from 2025 on, which needs an add-on.

Step 5: Enter your health insurance details

As a self-employed person, you're responsible for your own health insurance — and the contributions you've paid are tax-deductible. In this step, enter the amounts you paid into your statutory (gesetzliche) or private health insurance over the year. You'll find these figures in the annual statement your insurance provider sends you by letter or email.

Step 6: Add your other insurance policies

Health insurance isn't the only policy the Finanzamt lets you deduct. If you pay into a pension scheme (Rentenversicherung), accident insurance (Unfallversicherung), or unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung), simply enter the contributions you made during the year here. The app also covers accident & liability insurance and work/disability insurance.

Step 7: Enter household-related services

Did you have tradespeople (Handwerker) in this year, for example for renovation work? Or someone who regularly helps with cleaning? Costs like these fall under so-called haushaltsnahe Dienstleistungen (household-related services) and they're deductible too, as long as you received a proper invoice for them.

Note that for craftsmen only labour and travel costs are deductible, not materials, and the invoice has to be paid by bank transfer.

Step 8: Enter your tax prepayments

Almost there. Now enter the prepayments (Vorauszahlungen) you made over the course of the year. You'll find the amounts in the letter your Finanzamt sent you about them. This includes prepayments for income tax (Einkommensteuer), church tax (Kirchensteuer), and the solidarity surcharge (Solidaritätszuschlag).

Step 9: Review and submit

In the final step, you'll see an estimate of how much tax you can expect to pay and your entries are checked for errors one more time. If everything looks good, you can submit your return right away. It's sent automatically to your Finanzamt via our official ELSTER interface, Germany's electronic tax filing system. No paperwork, no separate ELSTER account needed.

In the last step you can also download a preview of the official report before sending it through ELSTER.

👉 Start your Einkommensteuererklärung with Accountable now!

With Accountable, you can prepare your income tax return yourself and send it directly to the Finanzamt. The app guides you step by step through everything that matters, from your EÜR all the way to your final tax assessment (Steuerbescheid).

FAQ: Income tax return for the self-employed in Germany

Who has to file an Einkommensteuererklärung?

Everyone who is self-employed in Germany, whether Freiberufler or Gewerbetreibender, is required to file an income tax return every year. Unlike employees, there's no exception: if you earn self-employed income, filing is mandatory.

What's the deadline for the income tax return?

If you file yourself, the standard deadline is July 31 of the following year. If a Steuerberater files for you, you get considerably more time. Miss the deadline and the Finanzamt can charge late-filing penalties (Verspätungszuschlag), so it pays to start early.

Do I need an ELSTER account to submit my return?

No. Accountable sends your return to the Finanzamt through its official ELSTER interface, you don't need your own ELSTER certificate or account.

Is the income tax return the only thing I have to submit?

Usually not. As a self-employed person, you'll typically also submit your EÜR (profit and loss statement) and, depending on your VAT status, the annual VAT return (Umsatzsteuerjahreserklärung). All three are handled in Accountable.

Can I file in English?

Yes, Accountable is available in English, so you can prepare and submit your German tax return without fighting your way through tax German.

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Author - Sophia Merzbach

Sophia has been a key member of the Accountable team for many years, bringing a unique blend of journalistic precision and in-depth tax expertise to her work.

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