How do I submit my tax return to the tax office?
With SteuerGo, you submit your tax return electronically to the tax office. Two submission methods are available to you. In both cases, transmission is secure and encrypted.
How does submission using your own ELSTER certificate work?
If you have a valid personal ELSTER certificate, you can use it to submit your tax return.
How does submission with identification work?
You can also submit your tax return online without your own ELSTER certificate. To do so, you must first identify yourself. SteuerGo will then submit your return on your behalf using the portal certificate.
Do I also need to submit my tax return by post?
With both online submission methods, you do not need to additionally print, sign or submit your transmitted tax return by post.
If the tax office requests supporting documents, you can submit them using the electronic document submission service.
What costs are involved?
The submission method you choose has no effect on the costs at SteuerGo.
How do I submit my tax return to the tax office?
Online submission with identification
When submitting online with identification, SteuerGo securely transmits your tax return to the tax authorities on your behalf in encrypted form. You do not need your own ELSTER certificate for this. There is no need to print an additional copy, sign it or send it by post.
What do you need in order to submit your return?
Before transmission, you must identify yourself. SteuerGo will verify your identity and address. Once activated, you can have your tax return submitted using SteuerGo's portal certificate.
What documents will you receive after submission?
Once transmission has been completed successfully, the confirmation of receipt as a PDF file will be available to you under “Submit tax return”:
- The first page contains the dispatch and receipt confirmation generated by SteuerGo, including the dispatch date and transfer ticket. It documents successful receipt on the tax authorities’ ELSTER servers.
- The following pages contain the transmitted data from your tax return.
Download the complete confirmation of receipt and keep it as proof of transmission.
Wichtig
What applies if you receive a reminder despite successful submission?
Present the confirmation of receipt to your tax office and expressly ask them to check receipt and whereabouts using the transfer ticket. Please observe any deadlines that have been set.
Do not resubmit the return solely because of a reminder. As a rule, you should only submit it again if changes are required or after expressly agreeing this with the tax office.
How do you submit supporting documents subsequently?
If the tax office requests supporting documents, you can submit them using SteuerGo's electronic document submission service.
Online submission with identification
Online submission with your own certificate
When filing online using your own ELSTER certificate, you submit your tax return to the tax authorities securely and in encrypted form with SteuerGo. An additional printed copy with a signature and postal submission are not required.
What do you need in order to file?
You need a valid personal ELSTER certificate. If you do not yet have a certificate, you can apply for one free of charge at ELSTER.
Which documents will you receive after filing?
Once the transmission has been completed successfully, the confirmation of receipt as a PDF file will be available to you under “Submit tax return”:
- The first page contains the dispatch and receipt confirmation generated by SteuerGo, including the dispatch date and transfer ticket. It documents the successful receipt on the ELSTER servers of the tax authorities.
- The following pages contain the transmitted data from your tax return.
Download the complete confirmation of receipt and keep it as proof of transmission.
Wichtig
What applies if you receive a reminder despite successful filing?
Present the confirmation of receipt to your tax office and explicitly ask them to check receipt and whereabouts using the transfer ticket. Please observe any deadlines set.
Do not resubmit the return solely because of a reminder. As a rule, a further submission should only be made if changes are required or after explicit agreement with the tax office.
How do you submit supporting documents afterwards?
If the tax office requests supporting documents, you can submit them via the electronic document submission service in SteuerGo.
Online submission with your own certificate
How can I submit my tax return without a certificate?
You can also submit your tax return without your own ELSTER certificate via “online submission with identification”. The following identification options are available to you:
- Identification via data retrieval: If you have activated data retrieval in SteuerGo, you can submit your tax return immediately. Your personal data will be compared with the information held by the tax authorities. Initial activation of data retrieval can take up to two weeks.
- Identification via PayPal: If you pay using a verified PayPal account, the data held by PayPal (name, address) will be used for identification. Once payment has been completed successfully, online submission is available immediately.
- Identification via Customer Service: Contact our Customer Service team at hilfe@steuergo.de and upload copies of your identity card, residence permit or passport (front and back, where available), as well as a selfie showing you together with the identity document. If your current address is not included in the document, we will also require a certificate of registration or a utility bill showing your address. Customer Service will then verify your identity.
How can I submit my tax return without a certificate?
Would you like to resubmit your income tax return?
If you wish to amend your tax return, the next steps depend on whether you have already submitted the return and whether a tax assessment notice has been issued.
What applies before the first submission?
As long as you have not yet submitted your tax return to the tax office, you can amend your details in SteuerGo. Then check your entries and submit the return electronically.
What applies after submission?
If no tax assessment notice has yet been issued, amend your details in SteuerGo and resubmit the complete, corrected tax return electronically.
In addition, briefly inform the tax office that the new submission corrects the previous return and specify which details you have amended.
You will be submitting a new version, which will generally be used for further processing.
Important
What applies if you receive a reminder despite successful submission?
An acknowledgement of receipt with a transfer ticket documents the successful receipt of your tax return on the tax administration’s ELSTER servers. A reminder does not automatically mean that your return was not submitted.
Provide your tax office with the acknowledgement of receipt and expressly ask them to check receipt and whereabouts using the transfer ticket. Please observe any deadlines set.
Do not resubmit your return solely because of a reminder. As a rule, you should only resubmit if you have made changes or after expressly agreeing this with the tax office.
What applies after the tax assessment notice?
If you have already received a tax assessment notice, you should generally lodge an objection within one month of notification if you wish to request changes. State the changes you would like to be made. Resubmission alone is not a substitute for lodging an objection within the deadline.
You can find a template under “Objection due to error”.
Who can help with technical questions?
If you have any questions about using SteuerGo, our customer service team will be happy to help at hilfe@steuergo.de.
Would you like to resubmit your income tax return?
What should I do if the submission fails?
If you encounter repeated errors when submitting your tax return, please contact our customer service at hilfe@steuergo.de and provide the following information:
- Does the system display an error message? If so, please provide a brief description.
- Date and time when the error occurred
- Browser used (e.g. Firefox, Chrome, Edge – ideally with version number)
- Operating system used (e.g. Windows, macOS, Linux)
Note: For optimal use of SteuerGo, we recommend the latest versions of
Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
What should I do if the submission fails?
