The German-VAT specialist.
Fixed price. In English.
Vaytax handles registration, monthly filing and Finanzamt correspondence in-house through a licensed German Steuerberater. €1,199/year all-in (registration included), or €79/month if you already have a German VAT number, with no per-transaction fees. Here is how that compares with the main categories of provider foreign sellers consider.
Vaytax against the two broad provider categories
Columns show categories of provider, not individual firms. Within each category, specifics vary by firm. Every row below is true category-wide; where a category has a range, the most common typical configuration is shown.
| Vaytax | Traditional tax advisor | Online VAT platforms | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-house licensed Steuerberater | Yes, every return reviewed and submitted in-house | Yes, the firm is the Steuerberater | Typically subcontracted to a local firm |
| Fixed, published price | €79/month all-inclusive, or €1,199/year all-in with registration | Usually hourly billing or a custom fee schedule | Often per-country or per-transaction add-ons |
| English client area | English UI, German Finanzamt correspondence handled by us | German-only correspondence is common | English UI, mixed downstream |
| ZM (EC Sales List) included | Yes, with VIES validation in the wizard | Yes, in standard scope | Often a paid add-on |
| Dauerfristverlängerung (one-month filing extension) | Handled (application + Sondervorauszahlung) | Handled by the firm | Varies by platform |
| One-shot Finanzamt letter, no subscription | Yes, fixed-price quote within 24 hours | Hourly billing on demand | Usually subscription-tied |
| Geographic depth in Germany | Germany only, specialist | Germany, single firm | Multi-country, German filing often outsourced |
| Fiscal-rep surcharge | None (not required in Germany) | Not applicable | Sometimes added (€1,000+/year) |
The four shapes a German VAT provider takes
When the table reads "varies," it means the specifics are firm-dependent. The descriptions below capture the typical configuration in each category, without naming individual firms.
Pan-EU VAT platforms
Software-led offering aimed at sellers operating in 5+ EU countries. English UI, central dashboard, single billing relationship. Per-country compliance work, including filings and Finanzamt correspondence in Germany, is typically subcontracted to a local firm. Strong if you actually sell pan-EU and need one throat to choke; less efficient if Germany is your only or main jurisdiction.
Marketplace-aggregator services
VAT compliance bundled with marketplace operations, often by firms with deep Amazon FBA expertise. Tiered by transaction volume or marketplace count. Like the pan-EU platforms, the actual filing is usually subcontracted, but the upside is tight integration with marketplace data and §22f/§25e compliance posture.
Local Steuerberater (no platform)
Traditional German tax-advisor firm without a productised offering. The most credible counterparty for the Finanzamt because there is no intermediary. The trade-off is the customer experience: German-only correspondence, hourly billing, no English client area, no self-service. Works well if you have a German-speaking finance manager or want a deep advisor relationship.
DIY with a German accountant
You hire a German accountant or bookkeeping firm directly and coordinate the Steuerberater interaction yourself. The cheapest configuration for a small operation, but the integration cost lives with you: bookkeeping in one place, electronic filing access in another, Vollmacht administration manual, no end-to-end pipeline unless your accountant is set up for it.
Category-by-category breakdowns
Detailed breakdowns of Vaytax against the provider categories foreign sellers most often consider. Each guide compares pricing, scope, filing depth, and switching cost.
Compared with pan-EU VAT platforms
How a German-VAT specialist compares with pan-EU coverage on pricing, scope, and switching cost. Detailed breakdown.
Read →Compared with marketplace-aggregator services
Quote-based marketplace-aggregator pricing versus fixed-price specialist. Transparency, depth, and switching cost.
Read →Compared with pan-EU automation platforms
When pan-EU automation depth matters and when a German-only specialist is the better fit. Detailed breakdown.
Read →Compared with enterprise tax-tech suites
How enterprise-scale tax-tech pricing tiers and scope compare with a specialist Steuerberater for SME foreign sellers.
Read →Compared with multi-country marketplace aggregators
Where the multi-country marketplace-aggregator approach fits and where a German-only specialist is the better fit.
Read →Compared with pan-EU accounting networks
Pan-EU compliance via an international accounting network versus an in-house Germany specialist. Pricing transparency, filing model, and switching cost.
Read →Compared with software-led VAT platforms
Pan-EU VAT software with OSS automation versus in-house Steuerberater filing. Per-country pricing math, hybrid setups, and when each model fits.
Read →Got a letter from the Finanzamt? We quote a fixed price within 24 hours.
From €99, no subscription, nothing to pay until you accept. Schätzbescheid, Mahnung, Anhörung.
Frequently asked questions
The questions that come up most often when sellers are choosing between provider categories.
How is a pan-EU VAT platform different from Vaytax?
Pan-EU VAT platforms aim to cover multiple EU countries from one dashboard. They are useful if you sell into many jurisdictions and want a single billing relationship. The trade-off is depth: per-country compliance, including direct Finanzamt correspondence in German, is typically subcontracted. Vaytax is the opposite: German-VAT specialist, in-house licensed Steuerberater, no per-transaction fees. If Germany is your only or main jurisdiction, the specialist approach is usually cheaper and more responsive.
Do I need a fiscal representative in Germany?
No. Germany does not require non-EU sellers to appoint a fiscal representative under §22a UStG (unlike France or Italy in certain scenarios). A licensed German Steuerberater acting as your tax agent is legally sufficient. Some providers still charge a separate fiscal-representation fee of €1,000+/year. With Vaytax you register directly through the Steuerberater for €1,199/year all-in (registration included), or pay €79/month if you already have a German VAT number. (See our fiscal representation explainer.)
What does Vaytax cost compared with a traditional German tax advisor?
€1,199/year all-in (registration included) if you need German VAT registration, or €79/month if you already have a German VAT number, for ongoing monthly filing (UStVA), ZM, and Finanzamt correspondence. A traditional German Steuerberater without a productised offering typically bills hourly (€150-200/hour) or charges a setup fee plus per-return fees, which adds up to several thousand euros annually for a typical foreign seller.
Can I switch to Vaytax from another provider mid-year?
Yes. The switch involves changing your Vollmacht (power of attorney) with the Finanzamt, importing your prior bookkeeping exports, and continuing filing from the next period. Most switches complete in one to two weeks. Pending Bescheide and audits move with the new Vollmacht; the prior firm hands off transactional records.
Does Vaytax handle pan-EU compliance?
No. Vaytax is intentionally Germany-only. If your business needs VAT registration in 3+ EU countries, a pan-EU platform may be the right choice for the rest. Many Vaytax customers run a German-Steuerberater setup with us for Germany and a separate platform or local firm for other countries.
What happens if I get a Schätzbescheid or other Finanzamt letter?
Vaytax customers get Finanzamt correspondence handled as part of the monthly fee. Non-customers can still send a single letter to our Finanzamt letter intake and get a fixed-price quote within 24 hours (weekdays). No charge to ask, no subscription required. (Background: Schätzbescheid guide for foreign sellers.)
Related guides & neighbours
The pricing detail, the registration pillar, and the seller situations that back up this comparison.
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German VAT specialist. Fixed price. English.
€1,199/year all-in (registration included), or €79/month if you already have a German VAT number. A licensed German Steuerberater on the team submits every return to your Finanzamt. No fiscal-rep surcharge required by German law.