Find the software that’s right for you
Accountable is the digital tax solution for self-employed professionals who want to handle their bookkeeping and tax returns themselves, with smart automation, clear overviews, and personal support, all without ongoing accountant fees.
Smartsteuer is an intuitive online tax software, primarily designed for employees and freelancers. It guides you step by step through your tax return, provides clear instructions, and makes even more complex tax situations easy to handle digitally.
What are the differences between Accountable and Smartsteuer?
| Accountable | Smartsteuer | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | All-in-one solution for bookkeeping & taxes | Online software for preparing tax returns |
| Who it’s for? | Self-employed & freelancers | Employees, self-employed, retirees, students |
| Bookkeeping included? | Yes (ongoing bookkeeping with receipts & categories) | No |
| Invoicing | Directly in the software | Not included |
| Receipt scanning & capture | Via app with automatic recognition | Not available |
| EÜR (income surplus calculation) | Automatically generated from bookkeeping | Possible within the tax return |
| VAT pre-filing | Automatically created & submitted | Focus on annual tax return |
| Income tax return | Integrated & guided | Step-by-step interview |
| App available? | Yes | Browser-based |
| Everyday use | Ongoing finance & tax management | Occasional use for filing tax return |
| In short | Accountable supports you year-round with bookkeeping and taxes | Smartsteuer mainly helps with preparing and submitting your tax return |
User reviews from real users
Hear it straight from our users
Marciela, Shop owner and designer about Accountable Banking
“Automatic tax savings with my bank account – so convenient.”
Lucas, Freelance consultant about Accountable Invoicing
“Moving to PEPPOL was seamless with everything in one place”
Karim, Owner of a coffee shop about Accountable Bookkeeping
“Scanning and attaching receipts with automatic recognition of all content. Magic.”
Layla, Business owner and architect about Accountable Taxes
“No need to know about accounting and taxes.”
Switching from Smartsteuer to Accountable? Claim your exclusive switching bonus!
We make the switch as easy as possible. If you’re currently using Smartsteuer and move to Accountable, you’ll get three months free when you sign up for an annual plan. On top of that, a personal tax coach will be there to help you with any questions about your taxes or using the software. Just send an email to support@accountable.de to get your personalized bonus link.
Try Accountable now
Accountable offers a free 14-day trial. Click the link to explore the design, user interface, and our personal support.
As seen in the press
Got a question?
Accountable uses a monthly subscription model designed for ongoing bookkeeping and tax management.
Smartsteuer charges a one-time fee per submitted tax return.
👉 For continuous bookkeeping, Accountable is often more cost-effective.
👉 For a one-time annual tax return, Smartsteuer can be cheaper.
Accountable is built for freelancers and self-employed professionals who need ongoing bookkeeping (invoicing, VAT filings, EÜR).
Smartsteuer focuses mainly on preparing and submitting annual tax returns. So, for ongoing business operations: Accountable and for annual tax return only: Smartsteuer.
You can prepare your tax return for free in Smartsteuer. Payment is only required when you submit the return to the tax office.
Yes, but with different purposes: Accountable is specifically designed for freelancers and self-employed individuals. Smartsteuer on the other hand is suitable for self-employed users, but not intended as a full bookkeeping solution.
For small business owners, or Kleinunternehmer, who regularly issue invoices and track expenses, Accountable is usually more practical because it combines bookkeeping and tax features. Smartsteuer is more suitable if you only want to file your annual tax return.
Yes, Accountable supports compliant e-invoice creation according to current legal requirements (including structured B2B formats).
No. Smartsteuer is not a bookkeeping tool. It is primarily designed for preparing and submitting tax returns.
Yes. Accountable automatically generates an EÜR based on your recorded income and expenses.
If you only need to file your annual income tax return, Smartsteuer is sufficient.
If you also want invoicing, VAT pre-filings, ongoing bookkeeping and handling your finances, Accountable is the more comprehensive solution. It also comes with an AI Tax Advisor and Tax Coaches for personal support as well as an integrated free business account.
You are not obliged to work with a tax advisor in Germany. And for most situations software is more than sufficient. Only for certain complex cases (e.g., GmbH or special tax scenarios), a tax advisor is recommended.
Switching makes sense if you move from a tax-return-only tool to a solution that supports ongoing bookkeeping and tax management throughout the year. There is no direct data import between the two, however, there’s an pdf import option and a switching bonus when you come from a different tax software and start using Accountable. Find out more on the bottom of this page.