ELSTER stands for electronic tax return. This procedure allows you to submit your tax return to the tax office via the Internet. In addition, ELSTER offers further functions.
My ELSTER - Your online tax office
My ELSTER is a personalised, barrier-free and platform-independent access to the electronic services of the tax administration. For this you do not need to install a program on your computer, but only need to register once and free of charge with your personal identification number. You can also find further information at www.elster.de.
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ELSTER form
Are you still using ElsterFormular? But then it's high time to switch to My ELSTER, because the ElsterFormular tax software is available to you for the last time for the preparation of tax returns and tax registrations for 2019. More information.
ELSTER-certificate
Since 01 January 2018, you need a ELSTER certificate if you are an entrepreneur. This is because you have to submit electronically authenticated VAT returns, trade tax returns and income statement returns to the tax office. For electronic authentication, you must first register in My ELSTER at www.elster.de. Please note that this registration at My ELSTER takes several working days. We therefore recommend that you register immediately.
For paperless filing, you must register at www.elster.de. You only need to register once and it is free of charge. You will receive a ELSTER certificate, which you can use to send your tax return electronically without a signature.
You transfer your data via the Internet. The transmission is encrypted, so tax secrecy is respected. The security of the ELSTER infrastructure is regularly certified (ISO 27001 certificate).
Save yourself the effort of obtaining paper forms. Simply add to and change your entries on the screen as required. This saves you time and protects the environment.
ELSTER checks whether your entries are plausible before sending them to the tax office. In this way, you avoid inquiries from your tax office due to missing information. In addition, ELSTER offers a non-binding tax calculation so that you know in advance what tax result you can expect.
With the help of the assessment data transfer, you can see any deviations from your declaration directly on your screen, in contrast to the tax assessment in paper form.
An additional function offered by ELSTER is the document retrieval (pre-filled tax return). This allows you to transfer the data that your tax office has directly into your income tax return. Further information.
As a rule, you do not need to send receipts and separate statements to your tax office. It is sufficient if you keep them for possible queries. For more information on how to handle receipts, please refer to the leaflet Notes on the obligation to keep receipts and recommendations for submitting receipts
Authentication means proving an identity.
Since the tax administration no longer receives a handwritten signature on a paper return when it is submitted electronically, but there are far-reaching consequences associated with the submission of the return, the identity of the submitter must be clearly ascertainable.
Instead of your signature, use an electronic signature here. The signature is a file that you attach to your electronic tax return/tax filing when you submit it to your tax office, similar to an email attachment.
To obtain the signature, you must register. You will receive your electronic signature after your entered data (e.g. name, address and identification number) have been matched with those of your tax office. In the case of spouses, it is sufficient if only one person registers.
You can also use the electronic signature to retrieve the data on your electronic income tax card.
Only authenticated transmission is possible in My ELSTER.
If you have problems using a commercial product, please contact the manufacturer first.
If you use ELSTER, i.e. My ELSTER or ELSTER form, please proceed in the following order:
Call up the help of the respective program. In My ELSTER you will find the help functions at the top of the home page under "Help". In ELSTER-form you will find the
help in the menu under "Help".
Consult ELIAS. It is a chat robot that can help you. In the window that appears, write your problem in the form of a concrete question in the empty field, e.g. "How can I transfer the data from the previous year?" and then click on "Go".
You can reach the central ELSTER hotline on the toll-free telephone number
from Monday to Friday from 07.00 to 22.00 and
on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10.00 to 18.00
or via
e-mail at hotline@elster.de
ELSTERYour personal ELSTER contact person is available to answer your questions about electronic tax returns.
For example, you are obliged to submit your tax returns electronically via ELSTER if you generate income from trade or business, from agriculture and forestry or from self-employment. Overview of the legal obligation to transmit tax data electronically.
As an employer or entrepreneur, you are probably interested in the following topics.
In principle, you must transmit the following electronically to the tax administration
- the current advance sales tax returns,
- the current wage tax declarations, as well as
- the wage tax certificate data of the individual employees
The legal basis for this is §§ 41a Paragraph 1 and 41b Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Income Tax Act and § 18 of the Value Added Tax Act.
The wage tax registration and the advance return for turnover tax must be received by the tax office within a period of 10 days after the end of the registration or advance return period. There is no "extension" by means of a grace period. If the deadline is not met, the tax office may impose a late filing surcharge.
By communicating electronically with the tax administration, companies can use the electronic data that is already available. This means that they do not have to transfer the data to a paper form or pay postage costs and can make full use of the submission deadline.
Electronic communication thus means significant cost and time advantages for businesses and the administration.
The declared tax amounts are due for payment immediately. Only a short grace period of 3 days applies.
You must pay a late payment surcharge of 1% of the tax amount owed if the amount owed is received late by the tax office. This surcharge is imposed by law for each month or part thereof that the tax is late.
As an employer or entrepreneur, you should use the tried and tested direct debit procedure, as this is convenient and secure. Automatic direct debit guarantees the timely receipt of your tax payment and thus reliably protects you from incurring late payment penalties.
A certificate is required for electronic authentication. You must acquire the certificate either by registering in My ELSTER or, if you use certain signature cards, by registering in My ELSTER. In order to be able to use My ELSTER, you need a domestic classification criterion (tax number).
You can apply for this tax number at the tax office Neubrandenburg - RAB.
If, for example, you work abroad as a tax advisor and have been commissioned by domestic taxpayers and wish to transmit data authenticated, you can apply for the order criterion at the Neubrandenburg Tax Office - RAB.
Domestic authorities who wish to transmit data authenticated but do not have a domestic tax number can also apply for the order criterion at the Neubrandenburg Tax Office - RAB.
Complete the application below and send it to the Neubrandenburg Tax Office - RAB.
Application for the issuance of an order criterion
The Neubrandenburg - RAB tax office will then inform you by letter of the classification criterion (tax number). You can then use this to register for an organisation certificate at My ELSTER.
You only need the classification criterion (tax number) for registration at My ELSTER. Authenticated transmission must always take place with the taxpayer's tax number. The assignment of the order criterion does not involve any tax or fiscal checks. Please clarify this with the tax office responsible.
Note: The Neubrandenburg - RAB tax office is located in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Therefore, "Mecklenburg-Vorpommern" must be selected as the state when registering in the ElsterOnline portal.
