Tax reports: fix errors and states

This article walks through the typical stops when filing. Each section names what you see, why it happens, and what to do.

The button "Submit to the Finanzamt" is grey

Norman names the reason right at the button.

The tax number is not accepted

You see We could not match the entered tax number with the selected region or Invalid tax number.

• Enter the tax number of your Finanzamt, in the format of your federal state, for example 12/345/67890. Not the eleven-digit tax identification number and not the VAT ID.
• The federal state must match the tax number. Both are under Account → Tax settings.
• New tax number after the registration questionnaire? Enter it as soon as the letter arrives. Read Speed up your tax number after tax registration.

No report or no preview for the period

• No UStVA cards: Your VAT type is set to Kleinunternehmer or exempt. Then there is no regular UStVA. Check Account → Tax settings.
• Wrong rhythm: The VAT advance return period decides whether Norman shows monthly or quarterly cards. After a change, Norman asks you to file the reports of the old periods or to mark them as submitted.
• Period before the start of activity: Norman shows reports from the Start of activity in the tax settings.
• Earlier years: The banner Set VAT status for earlier years means Norman does not know your VAT status for a previous year. Click Configure and set the status per year.
• Annual return not available yet: Norman enables the annual forms as soon as ELSTER publishes the official forms for the year.

The figures are wrong

The preview recalculates from the current transactions every time you open it. Submitted reports do not change anymore.

1. Click All transactions in the preview.
2. Check the category, the VAT rate and the document of every transaction. Common causes: a refund booked as income, a foreign service booked with 19% instead of reverse charge, a private payment without the category Personal.
3. Finalize the transactions and open the preview again.

Read Record refunds with the switch "Is it a refund?" and Reverse charge: on your invoices and for expenses from abroad.

The notice "Please review unfinalized transactions"

The period contains transactions that are not finalized yet. The notice blocks nothing: Continue files the return, Review N transactions takes you to the list first.

The look is worth it, because the figures of the return come from exactly these transactions. Check the category, the VAT rate and the document, finalize the transactions, and open the report again.

ELSTER rejects the transmission

After you click Submit to the Finanzamt, Norman shows the message from ELSTER. It names the field that does not fit: for example the address and house number, the tax number and the federal state, or a missing detail.

1. Correct the detail under Account → Personal details, Account → Tax settings or in the company details.
2. Submit again.

If the message stays unclear, send the exact wording, the report type and the period to support.

"Report already submitted" or submitted twice

A period cannot be submitted twice. If you submit an already submitted report again, Norman transmits a correction. The Finanzamt uses the latest transmission. Read Correct a submitted UStVA.

The EC Sales List is missing or empty

Norman builds the ZM from your transactions. A transaction counts only when all of this is true:

• It is revenue, not an expense.
• A customer is attached to it.
• The customer is set up as a business, not as a private person.
• The customer's country is in the EU and not Germany.
• A VAT ID is stored for the customer.
• The line is booked as goods or services.

If the period holds no such transaction, no ZM card appears. Revenue from German customers, from private customers in the EU, and from countries outside the EU such as the United States never produces a ZM, however large it is.

If a single sale is missing from the ZM, open it and check the customer: business, country, VAT ID. Then save it again.

A nil return is not allowed at the Finanzamt, so Norman does not offer one. Read more in Why can't I see the Zusammenfassende Meldung?.

The status is wrong

Open the menu of the report card:

• Mark as submitted: You filed the report outside Norman.
• Mark as paid or Mark as submitted & paid: The payment is done.
• Mark as in progress: You set a status by mistake.

If a status cannot be changed, write to support with the report type and the period.

The payment from Norman does not work

• Payment could not be initiated: Try again or choose Pay later and transfer the amount yourself to the IBAN of your Finanzamt. It is on your last tax assessment. Put the tax number and the period in the payment reference.
• The payment is waiting for your bank's confirmation: Confirm the payment in your banking app. Norman then sets the status to Tax paid.

Related articles

• Create and file the UStVA in Norman
• Report history and data sent to the Finanzamt
• Which tax years and tax filings does Norman support?