Tax Software
WISO Steuer: features, pricing and who it fits
Buhl's German tax software, available as web app, desktop program and mobile app. It lists Einkommensteuer, EÜR, Umsatzsteuer and Gewerbesteuer for self-employed filers, with a free test version and payment only at submission. Pricing is €35.99 per year or €45.99 one-time per tax year.
Who WISO Steuer is for
Best for
- Freiberufler and Gewerbetreibende who want the EÜR, Umsatzsteuer and Gewerbesteuer returns plus the personal Einkommensteuer in one product
- Filers who want a free test version and want to pay only when submitting the return
- Users who want a hotline and tax coaching included in the cheapest annual plan
Look elsewhere if
- Anyone who needs Körperschaftsteuer or Feststellungserklärung filings, which the vendor pages do not list
- Users who need ongoing bookkeeping (WISO EÜR+Kasse is a separate, paid product and not compatible with the web and app version of WISO Steuer)
WISO Steuer features
- Tax market
- Germany (Einkommensteuer, Umsatzsteuer, Gewerbesteuer)
- Self-employed return support
- Selbstständige page lists Einkommensteuer with Anlage G, EÜR, Umsatzsteuererklärung, Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldungen and Gewerbesteuererklärung; Anlage S is not named on the page
- Business entity returns
- Gewerbesteuererklärung and Umsatzsteuererklärung listed, up to 5 returns per year including for several businesses; Körperschaftsteuer and Feststellungserklärung not listed
- E-filing to IRS or ELSTER
- Transmits the return to the tax office; page cites 'Amtlich anerkannte Datenübertragung (§ 87c AO)'; WISO EÜR+Kasse states an official ELSTER interface
- Data import
- Automatic data retrieval and form filling (Vorteils-Abo), photo capture of Lohnsteuerbescheinigung and receipts, e-invoice upload; WISO EÜR+Kasse imports prior-year, WISO Mein Geld and other banking software data
- Expert or Steuerberater help
- SteuerGPT AI adviser; Vorteils-Abo adds technical hotline and tax coaching; external ProfiCheck review service (no price on the page)
- Pricing model
- Free test, then €35.99 annual subscription or €45.99 one-time per tax year
- Target company size
- Employees, retirees, freelancers and sole traders; no entity returns beyond Gewerbe- and Umsatzsteuer listed
WISO Steuer pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testversion | €0.00 | free test | All functions; payment only when the return is submitted |
| Vorteils-Abo | €35.99 | per year (annual subscription) | Cancellable at any time per the vendor; includes SteuerGPT, technical hotline, tax coaching and automatic form filling |
| Einzelkauf | €45.99 | one-time, per tax year | Single filing for one tax year; includes SteuerGPT |
| WISO EÜR+Kasse (separate product) | from €54.99 per year (subscription); €79.99 one-time (2025/2026) | per year / one-time | Bookkeeping and EÜR attachments; creates no Einkommensteuererklärung; subscription renews automatically in December and can be cancelled at term end |
Prices in EUR including VAT as published on buhl.de, checked 2026-11-02. The vendor FAQ says one license covers up to 5 returns at no extra charge. The same WISO Steuer product (web, Windows/macOS, apps) covers employees and self-employed filers; no separate Selbstständige edition is listed on the pricing page. The shop product URL is named wiso-steuer-business, but its page shows the same three prices.
Prices as published by WISO Steuer on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Integrations, security and hosting
- Data residency
- Germany: servers in Buhl's own data center in Neunkirchen, per the privacy page
Worth knowing before you buy
- First released in March 1991 as WISO Steuer-Sparbuch through a cooperation with the ZDF business magazine WISO; web version since 1999
- Buhl runs its own data center in Neunkirchen, Germany and states it processes data under GDPR with Art. 28 processors
- The self-employed returns (EÜR, Umsatzsteuer, Gewerbesteuer) sit inside the same WISO Steuer license; WISO EÜR+Kasse is a separate €54.99 per year or €79.99 one-time bookkeeping product that does not create the Einkommensteuererklärung
- Vendor says one license covers up to 5 returns, including for several businesses, and the test version is fully functional with payment only at submission
- Computer Bild's 2026 test called it the winner of its tax program comparison, and Finanztip names it its overall recommendation (as cited in the English Wikipedia article)
WISO Steuer alternatives
Vendor dossier
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Software | Strong fit | Workable | No data | No data |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
How buying WISO Steuer works
- How you buy
- Buy online
- Contract
- Annual subscription (cancellable at any time) or one-time purchase per tax year
Security and data protection
- Data hosting regions
- Germany (Buhl data center, Neunkirchen)
From WISO Steuer's trust center, security and legal pages. Anything not listed is not published.
About the company
- Headquarters
- Neunkirchen (Saarland), Germany
- Ownership
- privately held, family-owned (Buhl Data Service GmbH)
- Employees
- 700+ (2024)
- 1991
- First release as WISO Steuer-Sparbuch with the ZDF magazine WISO
- 1999
- First web version
- 2011
- Native macOS version
Switching to WISO Steuer
Official ways to bring your data over, as documented by WISO Steuer:
- From WISO EÜR+Kasse prior year, WISO Mein Geld and other banking software: native import (in EÜR+Kasse)
Support and integrations
- Support
- Vorteils-Abo includes a technical hotline and tax coaching; SteuerGPT AI adviser in the app; EÜR+Kasse has chat, FAQ and forum
- Notable integrations
- ELSTER
What vendors in this category ask before quoting
Answer these once in a SaaSBid request and WISO Steuer and its alternatives quote against the same facts.
- Which country will the return be filed in, and are you also filing in a second one?Tax software serves one market, so a two-country setup usually needs two products.
- Are you a sole proprietor, freelancer, LLC, partnership or corporation?Entity type decides which edition and which forms are required.
- Is your VAT or Umsatzsteuer status small-business exempt or regular?Some German products cover only exempt or simple cases and treat VAT-liable users separately.
- How many returns and how many states or businesses do you need to file?Per-state fees and limits on returns per license change the total price.
- Do you want a person to review or prepare the return, or only software?Expert tiers cost more and can be priced per entity or as a share of a refund.
- If you run a tax firm: how many clients and staff do you have, and do you keep DATEV?Client bands, included users and the DATEV interface decide which plan and which add-ons are needed.