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Take the 2-minute test for an honest answer — built for employees, freelancers, and GmbH founders. Software handles a lot today, but not everything.
Decision tool
Answer 4–5 questions in two minutes for an honest assessment — built for employees, freelancers, and German company founders.
I earn my income mainly as a salaried worker.
Commuting, home office, work materials, training — all combined.
Anything outside your gross salary that needs to appear on the tax return.
One-off events with tax impact beyond regular salary.
Freelancer, sole trader, or GbR.
EU clients bring reverse-charge under § 13b UStG, non-EU clients add DBA / withholding-tax topics.
I run a UG, GmbH, or AG.
The first 1–2 years set tax parameters with long-term consequences.
Topics classified as specialist work under the German tax-advisor fee schedule (StBVV).
Your tax situation is clear enough that software fully handles it. Norman's Income Tax for Employees handles work-related expenses, special deductions, and ELSTER submission — no forms to learn.
Saved vs. tax advisor: ~€800–1,500/year
You have a few complexities (rental income, foreign income, or alimony). Norman files your return completely — for unsureness, get a one-hour consultation rather than ongoing engagement.
Saved vs. advisor engagement: ~€600–1,200/year
If you have foreign income or multiple income types, clarify open points with an advisor in a 1-hour appointment.
Inheritance, property sale within 10 years, or a conflict with the tax office is not a software case. A tax advisor is worth the cost. Norman can still structure all receipts, deductions, and data, which lowers the engagement.
Realistic advisor cost: €800–1,500/year
Norman doesn't replace the advisor here — but it saves significant hours through clean preparation.
Your activity is manageable, domestic-only, no special cases. Modern software now handles bookkeeping, VAT returns, EÜR, and the tax return entirely. That's what Norman is built for.
Saved vs. tax advisor: ~€1,500–3,000/year
You have one or two complexities (higher revenue, EU clients, employees). Norman handles ongoing bookkeeping and VAT — an annual conversation with a tax advisor keeps strategic topics clean without a full engagement.
Saved vs. full engagement: ~€2,000/year
Hybrid means: Norman daily, advisor once a year for strategic input. The most cost-effective setup for many self-employed.
Tax audit, conflict with the tax office, holdings, or a complex special case — professional advice here is risk management, not luxury. Norman keeps running your bookkeeping and significantly lowers the engagement cost.
Engagement realistically reduced by ~30–50%
For an audit: never go without an advisor. Norman supplies the data; the advisor runs the proceedings.
You run an established UG with no holdings, no international complexity, no open topics. Norman handles bookkeeping, VAT, and receipts. Year-end accounts can be reviewed by a tax advisor once a year — no ongoing engagement needed.
Saved vs. full engagement: ~€3,000–7,000/year
UG / GmbH structures require year-end accounts, corporate tax, trade tax, and possibly payroll. The most economical setup is hybrid: Norman for daily bookkeeping and VAT, advisor for year-end and strategy.
Saved vs. full engagement: ~€3,000–8,000/year
With multiple shareholders or international activity, a permanent advisor relationship is especially valuable — Norman remains your data layer.
Holding structure, vGA topics, pension commitments, audit, or special cases like restructurings need specialist knowledge. Norman handles ongoing bookkeeping and receipts — the advisor bills for high-value work, not data entry.
Engagement realistically reduced by ~40–60%
For complex structures, advice is risk management: errors in vGA, pension commitments, or restructurings routinely cost more than the engagement.
Realistic cost ranges per Germany's Steuerberatervergütungsverordnung (StBVV) compared with Norman.
| Tax advisor | Norman | |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax return (employee) | €800–1,500/year | €19 one-time, pay only on filing |
| Freelancer bookkeeping (ongoing) | €200–400/month | Free |
| VAT filing to tax office | Included in engagement | Automatic, no ELSTER |
| EÜR generation | €300–800/year | Automatic from bookkeeping |
| GmbH year-end accounts (simple) | €2,000–5,000/year | Prep free, year-end review by advisor |
| Special-case consultation (1 hour) | €100–250 | Not included — tax advisor recommended |
These factors determine whether you can DIY, need a hybrid model, or warrant a full engagement.
Freelancers and sole traders have the simplest tax framework. UG/GmbH bring year-end accounts, corporate tax, and trade tax — more complex, but not automatically requiring ongoing advice for simple structures.
Below €22,000 (Kleinunternehmer) the tax situation is minimal. Up to €250,000 EÜR remains possible; above that, balance-sheet obligations kick in — and professional support for year-end accounts becomes valuable.
Full employees with payroll, social security, and wage-tax filings require more care than software alone provides — either via a payroll service or an advisor.
EU clients bring reverse-charge under § 13b UStG, non-EU clients add DBA topics. From a meaningful international share onward, an annual advisor check becomes mandatory.
Holdings, holding structures, real estate as business assets, or multiple income types raise complexity sharply — specialist knowledge becomes risk management.
Tax audit, conflict with the tax office, succession, or sale are temporary advisory triggers. A targeted engagement is usually enough — not a permanent full engagement.
EÜR is software-capable. Double-entry bookkeeping with balance sheet is more complex — an advisor often makes sense at least for the year-end review.
The honest dividing line. Left: situations where a tax advisor is risk management. Right: situations where software is enough.
Advisor recommended
In these situations a tax advisor is non-optional — risk management, not luxury. Errors routinely cost more than the engagement.
A formal inspection process with trained auditors. Going in without an advisor almost always costs more than the engagement itself.
Double-taxation treaties, VAT under § 3a UStG, OSS schemes, and foreign withholding tax need specialist knowledge — whether you're an expat or have international clients.
GmbH with multiple shareholders, holdings, equity stakes, vGA topics, or pension commitments are technically demanding. Errors routinely cost more than advisor fees.
You're setting tax parameters with long-term consequences during this period — director salary, profit distribution, investment planning. A single annual consultation often exceeds its cost.
Property sale within 10 years of purchase, transfer of shares, succession planning, or a formal objection — specialist knowledge beats any tool here.
Software is enough
For many self-employed people and most employees, an ongoing tax advisor isn't necessary. Norman covers every obligation here.
Fees as a freelancer, salary as an employee, or sales as a sole trader — a clear income base is easy to plan and clean to automate.
Below the balance-sheet thresholds, EÜR is enough. Norman generates it automatically from live bookings — no SKR03/04 chart of accounts to learn.
Pure domestic business saves you DBA, reverse-charge under § 13b UStG, and foreign withholding tax. The most common German tax topics are fully software-capable.
If you hold no equity stakes and run no holding structure, there are no vGA, consolidation, or withholding-tax topics requiring specialist knowledge.
Solo or with 1–2 mini-jobbers, payroll stays manageable. Once full employees with social-security obligations are involved, a professional makes sense.
Direct VAT filing to the tax office, automated receipt capture, GoBD-compliant archiving — a button press instead of advisor routine.
The most cost-effective setup for many self-employed and smaller GmbHs — you save 60–80% vs. a full engagement.
Receipts, invoices, bank reconciliation, VAT, and EÜR run automatically. No advisor billed for routine work — and no ZIP ping-pong at year-end.
Once a year an advisor reviews your year-end accounts or tax return and provides strategic input for the following year — director salary, investment planning, advance payments, special cases.
Instead of paying €200–600/month for routine advisor work, daily bookkeeping runs through Norman (free). The advisor only bills for high-value work — strategy, not data entry.
In 2 minutes you'll know whether you need a tax advisor — or whether Norman covers everything.
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