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Help & Contact

Here you’ll find answers to the most common questions—quickly, clearly, and without waiting.

General

What is taxtastic?

What is taxtastic and how does it work? expand_more

taxtastic is cloud-based software that lets you prepare your own income tax return and submit it directly to the tax office—no installation required, simply in your browser or via the app.

The software guides you step by step through the process. The submission is then processed via the official ELSTER interface. Your data is stored in encrypted form on servers in Germany.

Who is taxtastic for? expand_more

taxtastic is designed for anyone who wants to file their own tax return—without a tax advisor, without prior knowledge, and without spending hours on it.

The guided interview asks you simple questions about your personal situation and uses that information to create the tax return that’s right for you. You’ll only see the fields that are truly relevant to you—never a blank form, never a section that doesn’t apply to you.

taxtastic covers all common income situations: whether you’re an employee, retired, a freelancer, self-employed, or a combination of these. Wages, investment income, rental income, and the simplified income statement (EÜR)—individually or combined in a single return. An automatic validity check ensures that your information is consistent before everything is submitted directly to the tax office via ELSTER.

Does taxtastic offer tax advice? expand_more

No. taxtastic is software—it does not provide tax consulting in the legal sense. The information provided is of a general nature and does not replace individual advice. You are personally responsible for the accuracy of your information.

In which language is the service available? expand_more

taxtastic is available exclusively in German and is intended for individuals who are tax residents in Germany.

Packages & Prices

Which package is right for you?

What packages are available, and what’s the difference? expand_more
Basic Package €29.99
  • Guided income tax return
  • Automatic tax calculation & validity check
  • ELSTER submission to the tax office
  • Encrypted data storage in Germany
  • Available for tax years starting in 2015
  • Email support
Plus Package: €79.99
  • Everything included in the Basic Package
  • Trade Tax Return & Sales Tax Return
  • VAT advance return
  • Income-Surplus Accounting (EÜR)
  • Integrated accounting tools

All prices are final and include sales tax—no hidden costs.

Is taxtastic a subscription? expand_more

No. taxtastic is a one-time purchase with no subscription or automatic renewal. You pay once for a tax year and will never be automatically charged. For subsequent tax years, simply purchase a new license.

We’re a married couple—do we need two packages? expand_more

No. If spouses or registered partners file a joint tax return, one package is sufficient.

Does this also work for past tax years? expand_more

Yes, the Basic Package supports tax years starting in 2015. You’ll need a separate package for each tax year. How far back you can file depends on the deadline: four years for voluntary filings, and up to seven years if filing is required.

Payment

Payment & Billing

What payment methods are available? expand_more
  • PayPal
  • VISA
  • Mastercard

Transactions are processed through certified payment service providers. Payment is due before the software is activated.

Are there any hidden costs? expand_more

No. The price shown is the total final price, including sales tax. No subscription, no automatic renewal, no recurring fees.

When will I get access after payment? expand_more

Access is granted immediately upon successful receipt of payment. You’ll receive a confirmation email with your login credentials—this usually takes just a few minutes.

Nothing in your inbox? Please check your spam folder as well.
Tax Return

File Your Tax Return

What do you need to file your tax return? expand_more
  • Tax identification number (found on every income tax notice)
  • Income tax statement(s) from your employer
  • Receipts for work-related expenses (commuting costs, work equipment, continuing education)
  • Receipts for special deductions (donations, church tax, retirement contributions)
  • Bank account information for tax refunds
taxtastic guides you step by step through the process—you don’t need to prepare anything in advance.
Who is responsible for the accuracy of the information? expand_more

You. taxtastic checks your entries for plausibility but cannot perform a complete review of their content. The responsibility for providing accurate and complete information lies with you.

We are not liable for additional tax payments or lost refunds resulting from incorrect information.

How long do you have access to the completed tax return? expand_more

Access remains active until the return is submitted to the tax office—or until the end of the year following the tax year, whichever comes later.

Tax-related documents (§ 147 AO) 10 years
Business correspondence (§ 257 HGB): 6 years

After these periods expire, all data is automatically deleted.

ELSTER & Tax Office

Submission to the tax office

What is ELSTER? expand_more

ELSTER (ELektronische STeuerERklärung) is the official transmission procedure of the German tax administration. taxtastic uses only this certified interface—all data is transmitted with end-to-end encryption (SSL/TLS).

Do you need your own ELSTER account? expand_more

No. taxtastic handles the ELSTER submission for you—you don’t need your own account.

Submission takes place only after you’ve given your explicit approval. Nothing is sent to the tax office without your consent.
How long does processing take at the tax office? expand_more

That depends entirely on the tax office in charge and is beyond taxtastic’s control. Experience shows that electronic submissions are processed faster than those sent by mail.

Please direct any questions about the processing status to your tax office directly—taxtastic does not receive any feedback from the tax office.
Privacy & Security

Your Data at taxtastic

Where is your tax data stored? expand_more
Location: Germany (Frankfurt am Main)
Infrastructure: Google Cloud Platform
Standard: GDPR-compliant, encrypted

Since Google is part of Alphabet Inc. (U.S.), data may be transferred to the U.S. for maintenance and support purposes—based on the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. You can find all the details in our Privacy Policy.

How secure is your data? expand_more
  • SSL/TLS encryption of all transmissions
  • Encrypted data storage in Germany
  • Login protection via one-time email code (6 digits, valid for 30 minutes)
  • Regular security updates, backups, and audits
  • Firewall and intrusion detection
How long is your data stored? expand_more
Tax-related documents (Section 147 of the German Fiscal Code) 10 years
Business correspondence (Section 257 of the German Commercial Code (HGB)) 6 years

Once the retention periods have expired, all data is automatically deleted.

What data protection rights do you have? expand_more
  • Right of access—to find out what data we store about you (Art. 15)
  • Rectification – having incorrect data corrected (Art. 16)
  • Erasure – provided there is no legal obligation to retain the data (Art. 17)
  • Restriction of processing (Art. 18)
  • Data portability in a machine-readable format (Art. 20)
  • Objection to certain processing activities (Art. 21)
Account

Account & Login

Forgot your password? What to do now? expand_more

On the login page, there is a link that says “Forgot your password?”. Enter your email address, and you’ll receive a confirmation email containing a time-limited link to reset your password.

Nothing in your inbox? Please check your spam folder as well.
How does taxtastic protect your account when you log in? expand_more
1. Email confirmation upon registration

After creating your account, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Your account won’t be active until you click the link.

2. One-time code for every login

Every time you log in, we automatically send a 6-digit code to your email—valid for 30 minutes. No manual setup required.

Your email address is the key to your account—always keep it up to date.
How can you delete your account? expand_more

Go to “Delete Account” in your account settings—you can do this yourself at any time. A deleted account cannot be restored.

The legal retention periods (6–10 years) remain in effect even after the account is deleted.
Your email address has changed—what should you do? expand_more

Update it in the account settings under “My Account.” Since your login code is sent to this address, having a current email address is essential.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal & Cancellation

Is there a right of withdrawal? expand_more

As a consumer (§ 13 BGB), you generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal starting from the date the contract is concluded.

Since taxtastic is a digital product and access is granted immediately after payment, the right of withdrawal expires as soon as you have actively agreed to the immediate commencement of service at the time of purchase. You will be expressly notified of this when placing your order.
How can you exercise your right of withdrawal? expand_more

By email or mail—no reason is required. To meet the deadline, simply send your notice within 14 days.

Address: Dreiserstraße 38, 12587 Berlin

In the event of a valid cancellation, we will refund all payments within 14 days using the same payment method.

Contact

Haven’t found what you’re looking for yet?

Describe your issue as specifically as possible—that way, we can provide you with targeted assistance.

mail

Contact Support

For general questions about the service, your order, or the software.

hilfe@taxtastic.de
privacy_tip

Data Protection & GDPR

Please send requests for information, deletion, or other data protection inquiries directly to our data protection address.

datenschutz@taxtastic.de