Skip to main content
Resources
Eleven providers, scored on what you can check

The best German VAT services for foreign online sellers in 2026, scored.

We scored eleven German VAT providers, Vaytax included, on five things you can check on each provider's own website: who files your returns, whether the price is published, what happens with letters from the tax office (Finanzamt), what they say about registration time, and whether they say how fast they submit your application. Vaytax scores 10 of 10 and German-VAT.com 8 of 10; the full table, every source and every price follow below.

Who wrote this: Vaytax publishes this comparison and sells German VAT services. We compared published information on each provider's website on 15 October 2026; we did not test the other services as a customer.

Get a written quote Start registration
Checked on 15 October 2026 · Prices as published on each provider's website on 15 October 2026, net of VAT unless a provider does not say

The short answer

For a seller based outside Germany who needs German VAT registration and every return filed, the two providers that score highest are Vaytax and German-VAT.com. Both are licensed German tax advisory firms (Steuerberatungsgesellschaft) that file in-house, both publish their prices, and both include letters from the tax office. Vaytax is €1,299 a year with registration included. German-VAT.com is €300 to register, then €90 a month with OSS returns included. If you also need the EU One-Stop-Shop (OSS), German-VAT.com is the better value on published prices.

Which German VAT service fits your case

Your situationLook at firstWhy
Based outside the EU, stock in Germany, want one yearly price and a licensed tax advisorVaytaxLicensed firm in-house, price published, routine letters answered, application usually submitted within a few working days
Stock in Germany and selling to consumers across the EU (OSS), on a tight budgetGerman-VAT.comOSS registration and OSS returns inside €300 + €90 a month
Want one named practitioner and a published pricee-VATAXA lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) in Hannover, prices published; the annual return is extra
Larger company already working with an audit networkvat-germany.comA Baker Tilly tax advisory firm; quote on request
Registering in five or more countries at oncehellotax, Taxually, AVASKMulti-country software or an account manager across many countries
Behind on returns, or a letter from the tax office already arrivedVaytaxEvery letter read and explained; catch-up returns quoted before we start

How we scored these providers

Five criteria, 0 to 2 points each, all read from the provider's own website on 15 October 2026. We did not score service quality, because we have not used the other services.

  1. Who files your returns. 2: the site names a German tax advisory firm, or a lawyer, doing the work (both may represent you before German tax offices, § 3 StBerG). 1: tax experts or partners are mentioned, but no German firm is named. 0: not stated.
  2. Price published. 2: registration and return prices are published, net of VAT. 1: partly published, or it is not said whether VAT is included. 0: quote only.
  3. Letters from the tax office. 2: stated as included in the price. 1: offered, fee not stated or possibly extra. 0: not mentioned.
  4. Registration time stated. 2: a time is given for Germany. 1: a general time for all countries. 0: not published. The tax office sets the pace, so this scores whether you are told, not how fast it is.
  5. Submission speed stated. 2: the provider says how quickly it submits your application once your documents are complete. 0: not published. This is the part a provider controls. We added this criterion ourselves, and Vaytax is the only provider that scores on it, so read the total with that in mind.

Side-by-side scores

Each row links to the provider's own page we read. A missing fact scores 0 and says "not published"; that does not mean the provider does not do it.

ProviderTotalWho filesPrice publishedLettersRegistration timeSubmission speed
Vaytax1022222
German-VAT.com822220
e-VATAX722120
vat-germany.com520120
AVASK400220
hellotax411110
Sterlinx Global411200
Taxually410120
amavat310110
SimplyVAT300120
Marosa000000

Without the fifth criterion (submission speed), Vaytax and German-VAT.com would tie at 8 of 8.

What the first year costs, on published prices

Example: a company from outside the EU, stock in Germany, monthly returns, no OSS. Only providers that publish a German price. Prices as published on each provider's website on 15 October 2026.

ProviderFirst yearRegistration12 monthly returnsAnnual return
Vaytax (Standard)€1,299
renews yearly at the then-published price		IncludedIncludedIncluded
German-VAT.com€1,380€300€90 a month (€1,080)Included
e-VATAX€2,060€420 (incl. €120 onboarding)€120 a month (€1,440)€200 extra
hellotax (New Seller, yearly billing)€468 plus anything not confirmed; VAT treatment not statedFree on yearly billing€39 a month (€468), up to 500 transactions a yearNot confirmed

With OSS: Vaytax adds €300 one-time plus €200 a quarter; German-VAT.com includes OSS registration and OSS returns. Vaytax Standard renews yearly at the then-published price. Sterlinx Global publishes a package of £97 a month with registration included, but not whether UK VAT is added, so it is left out of the sums.

The best German VAT services in 2026

In score order. Each entry says what the provider publishes, with the source, and who it suits best.

1. Vaytax, best for sellers outside Germany who want a licensed tax advisor and one yearly price 10/10

  • Who files: FRADECO GmbH Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, a licensed German tax advisory firm (Bonn and Paris), in-house.
  • Price: €1,299 a year with registration included (Standard). Already registered: €99 a month or €1,099 a year. Registration only: €499. Pro: €1,999 a year. Net of VAT. Pricing
  • Letters: every letter from the tax office is read and explained in plain English; routine letters are answered for you, included; anything beyond routine is quoted before we start.
  • Registration time: we usually submit your application within a few working days once your documents are complete (priority registration: one working day); the tax office itself usually takes 4 to 8 weeks, some take longer.
  • Also: filing for international sellers since 2021; Germany and France; in English.

Best suited for: companies from outside Germany with stock in Germany who want the firm that files the return to be the one they talk to, at one yearly price. Less suited if you need OSS on a tight budget, because OSS is extra.

2. German-VAT.com (MajTax), best value if you also need OSS 8/10

  • Who files: MajTax Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH, Hamburg, a licensed German tax advisory firm.
  • Price: €300 net to register, then €90 a month net with unlimited returns, including the annual return, EC sales lists and OSS returns.
  • Letters: included; they act as authorised recipient and scan your post into their portal.
  • Registration time: 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the tax office. Submission speed: not published.

Best suited for: sellers who need German VAT and the Union OSS and want the lowest published monthly price among the licensed firms on this list. Source

3. e-VATAX, best for a published price from a single practitioner 7/10

  • Who files: a lawyer (Rechtsanwalt) in Hannover, who files in-house.
  • Price: €420 net to register (including €120 onboarding), then €120 a month or €200 a quarter net; the annual return is €200 a year extra.
  • Letters: tax-office communication is listed; corrections are €120 an hour.
  • Registration time: 4 to 6 weeks from submission.

Best suited for: smaller sellers who want one named contact and a published price, and who are fine paying separately for the annual return. Source

4. vat-germany.com (a Baker Tilly company), best for larger companies with an audit network 5/10

  • Who files: Baker Tilly Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH, with chartered tax advisors on the team.
  • Price: quote on request.
  • Letters: correspondence with the German tax authorities is offered; fee not stated.
  • Registration time: up to 6 weeks to receive a VAT number.

Best suited for: companies that already work with a large audit network or need German VAT alongside other German tax work. Source

5. AVASK, best for high-volume sellers in many countries 4/10

  • Who files: a platform plus an account manager; a German tax advisory firm is not named.
  • Price: quote on request.
  • Letters: included; the account manager deals with correspondence from tax authorities.
  • Registration time: 2 to 3 months for Germany.

Best suited for: sellers in many countries who want one account manager across all of them. Source

6. hellotax, best for a software-first service across several EU countries 4/10

  • Who files: hellotax Global S.L. (Spain); its terms refer to tax advisors licensed under national law; a German firm is not named.
  • Price: New Seller plan €39 a month per country on yearly billing (registration free), or €49 a month plus €300 registration on monthly billing; up to 500 transactions a year. Whether VAT is included is not stated.
  • Letters: a tax-letter inbox with English translation; fee not stated.
  • Registration time: 4 to 12 weeks, all countries.

Best suited for: sellers registering in several EU countries who prefer software and a low monthly entry price. Source

7. Sterlinx Global, best for UK-based sellers who want a UK accountant 4/10

  • Who files: UK accountants (AAT and ACCA qualified) with local VAT agents; a German firm is not named.
  • Price: a package from £97 a month with registration included; whether UK VAT is added is not stated.
  • Letters: queries from tax authorities are listed in the package.
  • Registration time: not published.

Best suited for: UK sellers who want their German VAT with a UK accountancy firm. Source

8. Taxually, best for software plus tax experts across many markets 4/10

  • Who files: software plus in-house tax experts; for Germany they say a German-established tax consultant is needed, not named.
  • Price: quote on request.
  • Letters: tax notice management is listed; fee not stated.
  • Registration time: 8 weeks for Germany.

Best suited for: sellers registering in many markets who want one software account. Source

9. amavat, best for sellers who want a European partner network 3/10

  • Who files: member firms of the HLB network; the German firm is not named.
  • Price: quote on request. Letters: representation before tax authorities is listed; fee not stated. Registration time: general only.

Best suited for: sellers in many EU countries who want one partner network. Source

10. SimplyVAT, best for UK sellers who want a UK-based team 3/10

  • Who files: not stated for Germany. Price: quote on request. Letters: liaison with tax authorities offered, possibly for an additional fee. Registration time: 12 to 19 weeks for Germany.

Best suited for: UK sellers who prefer a UK-based team. Source

11. Marosa, best for enterprise and accounting-firm customers 0/10

  • Who files, price, letters, registration time: not published for Germany on the pages we read. Marosa positions itself for enterprise customers and tax firms rather than small sellers.

Best suited for: larger companies and accounting firms looking for VAT software with expert support. Source

What a German VAT service is, and what it is not

A German VAT service registers your company with the German tax office (Finanzamt), files your monthly or quarterly VAT returns (UStVA) and the annual return, and deals with the tax office in your name. Whether you need German VAT registration at all depends on where your company is established, where your stock is and what you sell; storing goods in Germany is the most common reason for foreign online sellers, and a seller established outside the EU has no turnover threshold for those sales.

Only certain professions may represent you before German tax offices, among them tax advisors (Steuerberater), tax advisory firms and lawyers (§ 3 StBerG). Software prepares the data; someone authorised still files and represents you, so ask any provider who signs your German return.

What it is not: it is not bookkeeping, it is not customs clearance, and it does not move your money. You pay the VAT to the tax office yourself, by direct debit or transfer.

Not sure you need German VAT? Take the 60-second check.

Questions before you choose

What does a German VAT service cost in the first year?

On published prices, from €468 (hellotax's entry plan, annual return and VAT treatment not confirmed) to €2,060 (e-VATAX with the annual return), for a company with monthly returns and no OSS. Vaytax is €1,299 a year with registration and the annual return included. See the first-year table above.

How long does German VAT registration take?

The tax office usually takes 4 to 8 weeks, some take longer; providers state anything from 4 weeks to 19 weeks. What a provider controls is how quickly it submits your application: Vaytax usually submits within a few working days once your documents are complete, priority within one working day.

Do I need a fiscal representative in Germany?

No. Germany does not require a fiscal representative for VAT registration, also not for companies from outside the EU.

What is the difference between a tax advisory firm and VAT software?

A tax advisory firm, tax advisor or lawyer may represent you before the German tax office and file your return. VAT software prepares your data, and someone authorised still files and represents you. Ask any provider who signs your German return.

Are letters from the tax office included?

It depends on the provider: some include them, some charge per letter or by the hour, some do not say. At Vaytax every letter is read and explained, routine letters are answered for you, included, and anything beyond routine is quoted before we start.

Can I switch provider without registering again?

Yes. You keep your tax number; the new provider takes over with a power of attorney (Vollmacht).

What if I also need OSS?

A seller established outside the EU that ships to EU consumers from stock in Germany can use the Union OSS through Germany. German-VAT.com includes OSS returns in its monthly price; at Vaytax OSS is €300 one-time plus €200 a quarter.

Not sure which one fits? Get a written quote.

Tell us where your company is established, where your stock is, whether you are already registered, whether returns are outstanding and whether you need OSS. A licensed tax advisory team answers in writing with the price for your case, on weekdays usually within a day, including when another provider fits you better.

Get a written quote 60-second check