WISO Steuer

WISO Steuer is a German income-tax preparation service for people who want guidance through filing, from beginners to self-employed filers and landlords. Its document capture, tax-data retrieval and ELSTER submission make it a practical all-round option, but only for people with unlimited tax liability in Germany.

The five-return license can also suit households handling several filings. Weigh the subscription’s November auto-renewal against the one-time purchase before choosing.

Overview

WISO Steuer helps assemble and submit German income tax returns. Users can photograph wage statements and receipts for automatic recognition and entry, or consent to retrieving tax information such as wage-tax data from the tax administration. As they enter information, the software updates its expected refund; completed returns are sent electronically to the tax office through the official ELSTER interface.

One license covers up to five returns, a useful allowance for families or people filing for more than one person. The boundary is firm: WISO Steuer supports income tax returns only for people with unlimited tax liability in Germany, so it is not the right fit for other tax statuses.

Key features

Document capture and tax-data retrieval

Recognizing photographed statements and receipts can reduce rekeying, while authorized retrieval can bring in relevant data held by the tax administration. These options make the preparation process less dependent on manual entry, though both still require users to review their return.

Live refund estimate and SteuerGPT

The running refund estimate gives filers an immediate view of how entries affect the expected result. SteuerGPT answers tax questions in natural language within the program, which may help beginners as they work. Its processing involves Taxy.io GmbH and Microsoft Azure servers in Germany.

ELSTER submission and Tax Banking

Electronic filing uses the official ELSTER interface, keeping preparation and submission in one service. Tax Banking can retrieve and categorize bank transactions, but it requires a separate finanzblick account; that extra account makes it less self-contained than the core filing workflow.

Security and support

Buhl says data is stored on its servers in Germany and protected in transmission and storage with HTTPS and AES-256 encryption. Its privacy notice says personal data is not generally shared with third parties, with exceptions including service providers, legal requirements and user consent. Vorteils-Abo subscribers get a technical support hotline; users can also submit support requests through Buhl’s ticket system.

Pricing

The free Testversion lets users try all functions and charges only when they submit a return. It is a sensible way to assess the workflow before paying, but it is not a free filing option.

• Testversion: free. All functions can be tested; payment is requested when submitting the tax return. Best for trying the service before committing.
• Vorteils-Abo: €35.99 a year, billed annually, with up to five tax returns. It renews automatically each November. This is the lower-priced paid option for repeat filers or households, provided the renewal timing suits them.
• Einzelkauf: €45.99 a month, a one-time purchase for one tax year and one submission, including SteuerGPT personal AI adviser. It avoids an annual subscription but is a much narrower one-return option; compare the stated monthly price carefully with the subscription before buying.

The paid pricing model starts at €35.99/yr. Since eligibility is limited to people with unlimited tax liability in Germany, neither plan expands who can file with the product.

Platforms

WISO Steuer runs on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, the web and Windows, giving users mobile, desktop and browser options. The maker is WISO Steuer, headquartered in Neunkirchen, Germany; Buhl, the company behind the service, was founded in 1986.

Who it's for

The maker positions WISO Steuer for employees, self-employed people, retirees, landlords, families and beginners. Self-employment and rental income are supported, and the five-return allowance makes it especially relevant to people handling several household returns. It is not suitable for anyone without unlimited tax liability in Germany.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Photos of wage statements and receipts can be recognized and entered automatically, reducing manual data entry.
• Pro: Live refund estimates and authorized tax-data retrieval help users see progress while assembling a return.
• Pro: ELSTER electronic filing and a five-return license cover preparation through submission for multiple eligible filers.
• Con: Eligibility is restricted to people with unlimited tax liability in Germany, excluding other filing situations.
• Con: Vorteils-Abo renews automatically each November, so subscribers need to account for that renewal schedule.
• Con: Tax Banking requires a separate finanzblick account, adding a dependency for users who want transaction retrieval and categorization.

Alternatives

For more options, compare the broader Tax Preparation Software and Personal Tax Software lists.

• Steuerbot offers free refund calculation and a paid tax-return submission plan; consider it if a free calculation is your priority.
• StudioTax has a free option for users with income of $20,000 or less and residents of the Northern Territories; choose it if you meet those conditions.
• Taxfix offers an individual annual plan at €39.99 a year, free until submission; consider it if that annual-plan structure suits you better.
• H&R Block Online offers free online filing for simple tax situations and Form 1040; consider it for that kind of filing.
• TaxFreeway is another tax-preparation option.
• 1040.com includes federal and state returns in one flat-price plan; consider it if that coverage fits your needs.
• ClearTax offers DIY income-tax return filing; consider it if that is the service you need.
• TaxAct offers free federal filing for eligible standard returns, with state filing additional; consider it if you qualify for that option.

Verdict

WISO Steuer is a strong choice for eligible German taxpayers who want guided preparation, less manual entry and electronic filing, especially when one license needs to cover several returns. Look elsewhere if you do not have unlimited tax liability in Germany, or if the November auto-renewal and separate finanzblick requirement for Tax Banking are poor fits.