Services for Germany

Umsatzsteuererklärung - Annual VAT return

Has the German tax office required you to file an annual VAT return? We will take care of filling in and submitting the German annual VAT return, the Umsatzsteuererklärung – including invoices under the reverse charge.

The scope of our service covers:

Lenka Vargová

specialist

Need advice?

If anything is unclear, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help.

Our accountant Lenka Vargová will advise you.

Umsatzsteuererklärung - Annual VAT return

The German annual VAT return – Umsatzsteuererklärung

If you work in construction in Germany and issue invoices under the reverse charge, you have to file an annual VAT return – the Umsatzsteuererklärung. The return lists every invoice issued and received, including those under the reverse charge.

The return is filed electronically through the ELSTER system, every year, usually by 31 July of the following year.

Do you need help registering with or signing in to ELSTER? We are glad to help with that too – we offer both registration and renewal of registration on the Elster portal.

You can also claim a VAT refund

If you paid expenses with VAT on them while doing business in Germany – for example:

- accommodation,

- fuel,

- purchases of materials,

- services or purchases in shops,

you can also claim a VAT refund as part of this return.

In that case we not only file the return for you but also make sure the refund is claimed correctly. We provide this service for a reduced surcharge, which you will find in our price list.

How does the application work?

You fill in the form

Just fill in a short form, we will help you with everything.

You send the documents

Send us the documents we need — we will tell you exactly which ones.

You sign the application

You sign the application and we take care of the rest.

Frequently asked questions

The Umsatzsteuererklärung is the annual VAT return in Germany. It is mandatory for businesses with a German VAT number (USt-IdNr.) that invoice services or goods in Germany – especially in construction, where the reverse charge is often applied. The return lists every invoice issued and received, including those not subject to VAT, which still have to be properly reported to the tax office.

Yes. The annual VAT return (Umsatzsteuererklärung) is mandatory in Germany even if you filed preliminary VAT returns (Umsatzsteuervoranmeldung) during the year.

The deadline is usually 31 July of the following year. We file it exclusively through ELSTER.

Once we have the complete paperwork, we usually process the return within 5 working days.

After the return is filed we will email you the confirmation and the complete documentation.

Yes. If you paid VAT in Germany on purchases or services (for example accommodation, fuel or materials), you can claim it back. In that case you need to supply the receipts and an overview of the expenses. We will fill the return in correctly for you and claim the VAT refund as well. We charge a surcharge for this service depending on the scope.

Yes, the return is filed exclusively through ELSTER, the official system of the German tax authorities. If you do not have an account yet, we can help you set it up and register. We also offer a service to set up an ELSTER account and configure access.

CLIENT SATISFACTION COMES FIRST

Price list for this service

Choose from three packages depending on whether you only need the return filed or also want to claim a VAT refund.

Basic package

On requestprice depends on scope

Suits those who only want the return filed - with no VAT refund claim.

The service includes

the German annual VAT return filled in and filed
consultation and guidance

Popular package

On requestprice depends on scope

If you want to claim back the VAT on your costs

The service includes

everything in the Basic package
refund - up to 50 receipts

Premium package

On requestprice depends on scope

More than 50 receipts for the refund? In that case we will prepare an individual quote based on the scope and complexity – please contact us if you are interested.

The service includes

everything in the Basic package
refund - over 50 receipts

This price list is valid from: 31/08/2026

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