Tax Advisor Costs: What Does a Tax Advisor Cost for Freelancers?

Many freelancers wonder if they need a tax advisor and what it costs. It’s an important question that directly impacts your finances. A tax advisor can help you save taxes and avoid mistakes, but they also cost money – often several thousand euros per year. The question is: Is the investment worth it for you?

The answer depends on your individual situation. For some freelancers, a tax advisor is indispensable, for others it’s an unnecessary expense. To make the right decision, you need to understand what a tax advisor costs, what services they provide, and what alternatives exist.

When Do You Really Need a Tax Advisor?

Most freelancers can do their tax return themselves, especially if they use modern accounting software. For simple cases with low income, simple business structure, and few special features, a tax advisor is often not necessary. With accounting software, ELSTER for tax returns, and some basic knowledge, you can handle everything yourself.

But there are situations where a tax advisor really makes sense. If you have a high income – say over 50,000 EUR annual profit – an experienced tax advisor can often save more in taxes than they cost. They know all the legal opportunities for tax optimization and find deductions you might have missed.

Complex business structures are another reason to consult a tax advisor. If you have multiple income sources, serve international clients, use complex business models, or want to form a company, professional advice can be valuable. A tax advisor helps you choose the right structures and avoid mistakes that can become expensive later.

Uncertainty is also a good reason to consult a tax advisor. If you’re doing your first tax return, have unclear situations, a tax audit has been announced, or complex questions arise, professional help can make the difference between a correct and an incorrect tax return.

And sometimes it’s simply a question of time. If you don’t have time for accounting and prefer to focus on your business, a tax advisor can take this burden off your shoulders. The time you save can be invested in your business, which is often worth more than the cost of the tax advisor.

What Does a Tax Advisor Really Cost?

The costs for a tax advisor vary greatly, depending on the complexity of your situation, the scope of services, and the region where you live. For a simple tax return with few receipts and a standard income-expense accounting, you can expect 200 to 400 EUR per year. That’s manageable and affordable for many freelancers.

For medium complexity – multiple income sources, many receipts, some special features – costs rise to 400 to 800 EUR per year. That’s still reasonable, especially if the tax advisor helps you save more in taxes than they cost.

Complex cases with complex structures, international aspects, and many special features can cost 800 to 1,500 EUR per year. Very complex situations with corporate structures and extensive consulting can even cost 1,500 to 3,000 EUR or more per year.

But the tax return is only part of the costs. If you also have the accounting done by the tax advisor, that’s an additional 100 to 300 EUR per month – that’s 1,200 to 3,600 EUR per year extra. Quarterly accounting is cheaper but still costs 200 to 500 EUR per quarter, so 800 to 2,000 EUR per year.

VAT returns cost an additional 50 to 150 EUR per return. If you must file monthly, that’s 600 to 1,800 EUR per year extra. With quarterly filing, it’s 200 to 600 EUR per year.

A full-service tax advisor who handles everything – accounting, returns, and tax return – can therefore quickly cost 2,200 to 6,900 EUR per year. That’s a significant expense that not every freelancer can or wants to afford.

Understanding the Cost Factors

What influences the cost of a tax advisor? The complexity of your situation is the most important factor. A simple structure with few receipts costs significantly less than a complex structure with many special features. The number of receipts also plays a role – more receipts mean more work for the tax advisor and thus higher costs.

The scope of services is another important factor. If you only have the tax return done, it’s significantly cheaper than full service with accounting and returns. Many freelancers choose a combination: They do the daily accounting themselves with software and only have the tax return done by the tax advisor.

The region where you live can also make a difference. In big cities, tax advisors are often more expensive than in rural areas. The differences can be up to 30%. The experience of the tax advisor also plays a role – experienced advisors often charge more but also often offer better quality and more expertise.

Alternatives to Full-Service Tax Advisor

The good news is that you don’t have to choose between “doing everything yourself” and “having everything done by a tax advisor.” There’s a third option that’s ideal for most freelancers: a combination of accounting software and occasional consultation.

With modern accounting software like Solobooks, you can handle the daily accounting yourself. The software automates most tasks: receipts are scanned and categorized, bank data is imported, invoices are created professionally. The effort reduces from hours per week to minutes. The software costs only 50 to 200 EUR per year – significantly cheaper than a tax advisor for accounting.

For the tax return, you can then consult a tax advisor who takes over the already organized data from the software. Since the data is already structured and categorized, the tax advisor needs less time, which reduces costs. This combination typically costs 450 to 1,000 EUR per year – significantly cheaper than full service, but with professional support for the tax return.

Another option is to do everything yourself. With good accounting software, this is quite possible, especially for simple cases. The software prepares all data for the tax return, and you can directly import it into ELSTER. This costs only the software fee of 50 to 200 EUR per year, but requires time and basic knowledge.

When Is a Tax Advisor Really Worth It?

To decide if a tax advisor is worth it for you, you need to do a cost-benefit analysis. Experienced tax advisors often find more deductions and optimization opportunities than laypeople. Typical tax savings through professional advice are 500 to 2,000 EUR per year.

If a tax advisor costs 800 EUR but brings 1,200 EUR in tax savings, you have a net advantage of 400 EUR. That’s a good investment. But this savings is not guaranteed – it depends on your individual situation. For simple cases with low income, the savings may be smaller or even absent.

Time savings is another factor. If you do the accounting yourself, you typically need 2 to 5 hours per month, so 24 to 60 hours per year. The tax return takes another 10 to 20 hours. That’s a total of 34 to 80 hours per year. If you value your time at 50 EUR per hour, that’s a value of 1,700 to 4,000 EUR. A tax advisor can often be cheaper, especially if you can use the time more productively.

But modern accounting software significantly reduces this time investment. With automatic categorization, receipt scanning, and bank data import, the time for accounting reduces to maybe 30 minutes per month. The tax return also becomes easier since all data is already prepared. In this case, it may make more sense to use the software and only consult a tax advisor when needed.

Finding the Right Balance

For most freelancers, a combination of software and occasional consultation is the best solution. The software handles the daily work and significantly reduces effort. The tax advisor helps with the tax return or complex questions. This combination offers the advantages of both worlds: the automation and simplicity of software and the expertise of the tax advisor when you need it.

The costs for this combination typically range from 250 to 700 EUR per year – significantly cheaper than full service, but with professional support when you need it. The software makes daily accounting easy, and the tax advisor helps with the tax return or questions that go beyond the software.

Finding a Good Tax Advisor

If you decide to use a tax advisor, it’s important to find the right one. Not all tax advisors are the same – quality, experience, and communication vary significantly. A good tax advisor should have experience with freelancers, communicate clearly, and offer transparent prices.

Recommendations from colleagues are often the best way to find a good tax advisor. Online reviews can also be helpful, but personal recommendations are usually more reliable. An initial consultation is important to see if the chemistry is right and if the tax advisor fits your needs.

Saving Costs

If you use a tax advisor, there are ways to reduce costs. The most important is to do the accounting yourself with modern software. If you give the tax advisor already organized and categorized data, they need less time, which reduces costs.

Good receipt organization also helps. If all receipts are digitally stored and sorted by category, the tax advisor can work faster. Modern accounting software does this automatically – you scan the receipt once, and it’s stored and organized forever.

And finally: Use the tax advisor only for what’s really necessary. If you can do the accounting yourself, do it. If you can do the tax return yourself, do it. Consult the tax advisor only for complex questions or when you’re really uncertain.

Conclusion

A tax advisor is not always necessary, but they can make sense in many cases. Costs vary greatly, depending on the complexity of your situation and the scope of services. For most freelancers, a combination of accounting software and occasional consultation is the best solution – it offers the advantages of both worlds at an affordable price.

Modern accounting software like Solobooks can be a cost-effective alternative or complement to a tax advisor for many freelancers. The software handles daily accounting, automatically categorizes expenses, and prepares all data for the tax return. This way you can either do the tax return yourself or provide the tax advisor with already organized data, which reduces their working time and thus your costs.

Need Help?

If you have questions about tax advisor costs or need help making a decision, we’re here to help. Contact us by email at support@solobooks.de, chat with us in the app, or visit our Help Center for more guides.

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Last updated: December 10, 2025