Finom Accounting can now prepare and submit your annual Einkommensteuererklärung (ESt) — the German income tax return — directly to the Finanzamt via ELSTER, based on the bookkeeping records you already have in Finom.
💡 The ESt report is currently available for sole proprietors (Einzelunternehmer) filing for the 2025 tax year in Germany.
What is the Einkommensteuererklärung (ESt) report?
The income tax return (Einkommensteuererklärung) summarises your annual income from business and other sources and determines how much income tax you owe or get refunded. It must be submitted by sole proprietors, freelancers, and other self-employed individuals — usually once a year, after the tax year has ended.
Once you submit your ESt through Finom, it is sent electronically to the Finanzamt for official processing. The Finanzamt then reviews your return and issues a Steuerbescheid (tax assessment notice), which states the final, legally binding amount — a refund or an additional payment.
Who should submit this report
You should file an ESt report if you are a sole proprietor (Einzelunternehmer) — freelancer (Freiberufler) or trader (Gewerbetreibender) — with income to declare for the relevant tax year. If you already work with a tax advisor (Steuerberater) or have submitted your return through another service, you don't need to submit it again through Finom — simply mark it as submitted.
Is the Finom ESt report right for you?
Below is an overview of what's included in this release and what isn't supported yet.
Forms fully supported in this release
Finom currently prepares and submits the following forms as part of your ESt report:
Hauptvordruck ESt 1 A — the main income tax form with your personal and general details
Anlage Vorsorgeaufwand — insurance and pension contributions (statutory and private health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension contributions, and other insurance expenses)
Anlage S — income from self-employed / freelance activity (Freiberufler)
Anlage G — income from a trade or business (Gewerbebetrieb), including the trade tax credit under §35 EStG
Anlage N — income from employment
Anlage Kind — details about your children, where relevant for tax allowances
These forms are pre-filled automatically wherever possible, using data from your bookkeeping records and your EÜR (Einnahmen-Überschuss-Rechnung) report.
What's not included yet
This release does not yet cover other income types, deductions, or special forms. In particular, Finom does not currently support:
Rental income (Anlage V)
Capital gains and investment income (Anlage KAP)
Foreign income (Anlage AUS)
Extraordinary expenses (außergewöhnliche Belastungen)
Donations and church contributions beyond what's captured in Anlage Vorsorgeaufwand
Maintenance payments to dependents (Anlage Unterhalt)
Household-related services and craftsmen's costs (haushaltsnahe Dienstleistungen / Handwerkerleistungen)
Joint (married/partner) assessment scenarios
If your tax situation includes any of the above, please review it carefully before submitting. Submitting your ESt through Finom without accounting for this income or these deductions may result in an incomplete or incorrect tax return. In that case, we recommend consulting a tax advisor (Steuerberater) or completing the missing sections separately via ELSTER before filing.
How to submit your ESt report
Review and confirm each section of your report (Personal info, Anlage Vorsorgeaufwand, Anlage S, Anlage G, and any other applicable sections).
Check the estimated tax result and your personal and banking details.
Confirm that the information is complete and accurate, and authorize Finom to transmit your return electronically via ELSTER.
Submit your report to the Finanzamt.
After submission, the Finanzamt will review your return. If further action is required, they will contact you directly. You'll receive your Steuerbescheid with the final amount — a refund or a payment — separately from the Finanzamt.