EÜR Software 2026: 7 Tools to File Your German Tax Return

If you're a freelancer (Freiberufler) or sole trader (Einzelunternehmer) in Germany, the Einnahmen-Überschuss-Rechnung — Anlage EÜR — is the form you submit every year alongside your income tax return. It's a 90+ line spreadsheet of business income and expenses, and the Finanzamt only accepts it electronically through ELSTER. The right software bookkeeps your year-round numbers, maps each transaction to the correct EÜR line, and ideally submits the whole thing for you. The wrong one leaves you doing it again in Excel. Here's an honest 2026 comparison of the seven main options.

What good EÜR software actually does

Anlage EÜR splits your business activity into income (Betriebseinnahmen) and a long list of deductible expense categories — office supplies, travel, depreciation, software, legal and accounting fees, and dozens more. Mapping a bank transaction to the right EÜR line is the part that breaks most DIY approaches. Good software automates it.

What to look for:

• Bank feed: Auto-import bank transactions instead of typing them.

• Receipt OCR: Photograph or upload a receipt — the software reads the date, amount and VAT rate.

• Auto-categorization: Each booking lands in the correct EÜR line (e.g. line 17 "Income from goods and services", line 51 "Other deductible business expenses").

• Anlage AVEÜR (asset register): The depreciable-assets schedule, with automatic AfA calculation.

• VAT return (UStVA) submission: If you're VAT-liable, monthly or quarterly UStVA filings via ELSTER — ideally from the same tool.

• Direct ELSTER submission of EÜR: Send the finished Anlage EÜR straight to the Finanzamt — not just a PDF you re-type into ELSTER.

• Income tax return (ESt): Best case, you submit the full ESt return with Anlage S/G and Anlage EÜR from one tool, instead of juggling two programs.

Important distinction: most accounting tools give you an EÜR export or PDF at year-end. That's not the same as direct submission. If you actually want to file Anlage EÜR from inside the software, the list of options is much shorter.

Skip the Excel detour — Norman files your EÜR for you

Norman generates Anlage EÜR straight from your bookkeeping and submits it together with your full income tax return via ELSTER. Bookkeeping and invoicing are free, no transaction or revenue limits.

Get started with Norman →

The 7 best EÜR tools compared (2026)

1. Norman — AI-driven EÜR with direct ELSTER submission

Norman is an AI-first accounting tool built for the German market. Connect your business account, and the AI categorizes transactions according to EÜR logic, reads uploaded receipts via OCR, and slots each booking into the right line. At year-end, Norman generates Anlage EÜR and files it together with your full income tax return through ELSTER.

That last part is what separates Norman from the rest of the field. Lexoffice, sevDesk, FastBill and Papierkram prepare EÜR data — but for the income tax filing itself, you need either a tax advisor or a second piece of software. Norman bundles both.

Strengths:

• Full Anlage EÜR generated from the software, including AVEÜR (asset register) and AfA depreciation

• Direct ELSTER submission for both UStVA and the complete income tax return with Anlage EÜR

• AI categorization for bank transactions and receipts

• E-invoicing (XRechnung, ZUGFeRD) built in

• Bookkeeping and invoicing free, no revenue or receipt limits

Weaknesses:

• Younger product than Lexoffice — smaller community

• Not aimed at very complex group or holding structures

Price: Bookkeeping and invoicing free. Paid plans cover the extended tax filings (Klein plan from €12/month).
Best for: Freelancers, sole traders and Kleinunternehmer who want to file EÜR and income tax from one tool, without a tax advisor.

2. Lexware Office (formerly Lexoffice) — the established workhorse

Lexware Office (renamed from Lexoffice in 2024) is one of the most-used accounting tools in Germany. For the year-round EÜR work — recording income, matching receipts, pulling reports — it's mature and well documented. UStVA submissions go through ELSTER directly, included even in the cheapest Plan S at €7.90/month.

Where it stops: the finished Anlage EÜR comes out as a PDF or data export. For the actual income tax filing, you need to switch to a tax advisor or a separate tax tool like WISO Steuer. If you already use Lexware, the Norman vs. Lexoffice comparison is worth reading before you buy a second tool.

Price: Plan S €7.90/month (UStVA included), Plan M €17.90/month, Plan L €21.90/month (full EÜR bookkeeping).
Best for: Freelancers who want a proven tool for ongoing bookkeeping and already have a tax advisor for the income tax return.

3. sevDesk — solid EÜR with DATEV export

sevDesk is the second large brand alongside Lexware. It produces a clean EÜR report, automatic bank matching, and a DATEV export for your tax advisor. UStVA filing via ELSTER is included in the bookkeeping plan.

Same caveat as Lexware: sevDesk doesn't submit your income tax return with Anlage EÜR. The tool is built for ongoing bookkeeping, not for the annual ESt filing. More in the Norman vs. sevDesk comparison.

Price: Free plan (3 invoices/month); bookkeeping with UStVA from €22.90/month (annual) or €25.90/month (monthly).
Best for: Self-employed professionals with a tax advisor in the loop and slightly more complex needs (inventory, project billing).

4. Accountable — EÜR and income tax in one for freelancers

Accountable targets freelancers with simple setups. The app walks you through receipts, EÜR and the income tax return — and submits both directly to ELSTER. That makes Accountable, alongside Norman, one of the few tools that handles EÜR and ESt end-to-end.

The catch: Accountable doesn't support GmbH or UG, has weaker AI automation, and the full-feature plans cost more than Norman. For pure-EÜR freelancers without other requirements, it's still a serious option — see Norman vs. Accountable.

Price: Free plan limited (5 expenses/month); Bookkeeping from €19.90/month (annual); Taxes with UStVA + ESt from €29.90/month (annual) or €37.40/month (monthly).
Best for: Freelancers and sole traders with straightforward setups who want to file EÜR and ESt themselves.

5. WISO MeinBüro Buchhaltung & WISO Steuer — the classic German combo

Buhl Data covers the EÜR pipeline with two products: WISO MeinBüro Buchhaltung for ongoing bookkeeping, and WISO Steuer (or the dedicated WISO EÜR & Kasse) for the annual tax return. The two integrate well, are widely known in Germany, and many self-employed people already own them.

The downside: you're juggling two licenses, the UI feels dated next to modern cloud tools, and AI receipt automation is noticeably weaker than in Norman, Lexware or sevDesk.

Price: WISO MeinBüro Buchhaltung XS from €9/month (up to €25,000 revenue), S from €19/month, M from €39/month. WISO Steuer is a separate annual license.
Best for: Cost-conscious freelancers who trust the WISO brand and don't mind two separate programs.

6. FastBill — invoicing-first with EÜR reporting

FastBill is primarily an invoicing tool with decent EÜR reporting and receipt management bolted on. If you write a lot of invoices and need a basic EÜR overview, it works as a hybrid. DATEV export, ZUGFeRD support and Stripe integration are included in higher plans.

Direct EÜR or ESt submission to ELSTER isn't a core feature — FastBill prepares the data, you (or your tax advisor) file it.

Price: Solo €10/month (€9/month annual), Plus €15/month, Pro €30/month.
Best for: Freelancers with high invoice volume who hand EÜR data to their tax advisor.

7. Papierkram — cheap and simple for Kleinunternehmer

Papierkram is a deliberately simple EÜR tool for Kleinunternehmer and side-hustle freelancers with a manageable number of receipts. It produces EÜR reports, is GoBD-compliant, and is very inexpensive. If you don't need AI and only have a handful of bookings per month, it goes a long way.

Like FastBill, Papierkram doesn't submit your ESt. It prepares; you (or your advisor) file.

Price: Free plan limited; paid plans from around €8/month.
Best for: Kleinunternehmer and side-hustlers with few receipts who want a cheap, no-frills tool.

EÜR software 2026 at a glance

*Norman: bookkeeping and invoicing are free with no limits; paid plans only for extended tax filings.

Which EÜR software fits you?

You're a freelancer without a tax advisor

You want to send EÜR and the income tax return to ELSTER from one tool, without juggling two programs. Realistically that leaves Norman, Accountable and the WISO combo. Norman is the only one of those where the bookkeeping itself is free — you only pay for the tax filings. Use the German tax calculator for freelancers first to see what income tax and trade tax to expect.

You work with a tax advisor

You don't need ESt submission from the tool — you need clean bookkeeping, a DATEV export, and UStVA filing. Lexware Office, sevDesk and Papierkram all qualify; the choice comes down to price, ergonomics and depth. Few receipts: Papierkram. Want to scale: sevDesk. Want the standard option: Lexware Office.

You're a Kleinunternehmer with few bookings

If you stay below the Kleinunternehmer threshold, UStVA goes away — you only need clean EÜR plus the annual income tax return with Anlage EÜR and Anlage S or G. Norman (free for bookkeeping), Accountable (start on the free plan) or Papierkram all fit. For an overview of the Kleinunternehmer setup, see norman.finance/kleinunternehmer.

You're self-employed on the side

For side hustlers, a full software suite is often overkill — you don't need GmbH features, payroll, or double-entry. Norman on the free tier or Papierkram as the budget option usually do the job. One thing not to skip: Anlage EÜR is required as soon as you turn a profit, even on the side.

Bottom line

Most "EÜR tools" are accounting tools that prepare EÜR data — they don't actually submit Anlage EÜR with your income tax return. If you want to send EÜR and ESt to ELSTER end-to-end from one piece of software, the practical shortlist is Norman, Accountable and the WISO combo. Of those, Norman is the only one that keeps day-to-day bookkeeping completely free and only charges for the tax filings — which makes it the cheapest all-in-one path. If you already have a tax advisor, Lexware Office or sevDesk are fine for the bookkeeping side, and you let your advisor handle the income tax filing.