If you’re a freelancer or self-employed in Germany, you’re required to submit a VAT declaration (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) to the German tax office (Finanzamt) — often monthly or quarterly. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to export your VAT data from Solobooks and upload it to ELSTER, the official online tax portal.
✅ What You’ll Need
- An ELSTER account (with login or certificate)
- Your VAT summary (exported from Solobooks)
- Your tax number (Steuernummer)
📤 Step 1: Export Your VAT Report from Solobooks
- Log in to your Solobooks account.
- Go to Transactions → VAT Export.
- Select the desired period (e.g. Q1 2024).
- Click Export as CSV.
- A CSV file with all relevant data will be downloaded.
🌐 Step 2: Log in to ELSTER
- Go to https://www.elster.de.
- Click Login and use your ElsterSecure certificate or ELSTER login credentials.
- Once logged in, select:
➤ Formulare → Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung.
📝 Step 3: Fill Out the Form Using Your CSV
- Choose the reporting period (e.g. 01.01.2024 – 31.03.2024).
-
Copy the values from your Solobooks CSV into the corresponding fields:
- Line 81: VAT on sales
- Line 66: Input tax (Vorsteuer)
- …and so on (Solobooks will label your CSV to match ELSTER field numbers)
- Double-check that all totals match your records.
📩 Step 4: Submit and Download Confirmation
- After reviewing, click “Prüfen” to validate the form.
- Then click “Absenden” to submit.
- Download the submission receipt (Übertragungsprotokoll) for your records.
🛡 Tips
- Always keep a copy of your submission and the CSV you uploaded.
- If you notice errors after submission, you can file a corrected version.
- Make sure you respect submission deadlines (monthly or quarterly depending on your classification).
📦 Coming Soon in Solobooks
We’re currently working on direct ELSTER integration, so in the future, you’ll be able to file your VAT report with one click from Solobooks.
Still have questions? Drop us a message or read more on Solobooks Help Center.