The most important questions and answers about SteuerGo!
Every question that can be answered today will make you a little more satisfied. We have compiled answers to the most common questions about processing your tax return with SteuerGo.
Before contacting us, please read our FAQ pages first; you may already find the answer to your question here!
If you cannot find answers to your questions, our customer service will be happy to assist you with technical queries.
Email: hilfe@steuergo.de
Service hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
You will receive help and answers regarding
- Programme operation
- Data verification/validation
- Data transfer from the previous year
- Submitting your tax return via ELSTER or by form
- Purchases in our shop
- and similar topics
If you need further assistance, please let us know!
The most important questions and answers about SteuerGo!
Why SteuerGo?
With SteuerGo, you can complete your tax return quickly, securely, and fully online. Intuitive dialogues, clear input assistance, and helpful tips guide you step by step through your return.
Get started easily
- No download, no installation – start directly in your browser
- Easy-to-understand interview instead of complicated forms
- All common operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Edit from anywhere (e.g. office or home)
- Convenient data transfer from previous years
- Personal customer service: weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm
Save time & money
- Live calculation of your expected refund
- Tax-saving tips and checklists directly in the process
- Sample templates: e.g. for appeals or cover letters
- Detailed FAQs and guides for each tax year
Get more out of it
- Automatic calculation of totals, transfers, and travel distances
- Numerous tax tips during entry
- Optimisation of assessment for couples
- Topic checklists for targeted tax savings
Avoid errors
- Integrated plausibility check to avoid queries
- Automatic alerts for missing or incorrect information
Submit easily & check notice
- Online submission with or without Elster certificate
- Electronic tax notice available
- Digital submission of documents upon request
- Support with appeals – incl. sample letters
- Volume and loyalty discounts for future returns
Why SteuerGo?
Who is SteuerGo suitable for?
With SteuerGo, the majority of taxpayers in Germany can easily prepare and submit their private income tax return online – and save on taxes.
This internet application also includes a free online guide with extensive background information and numerous tax tips based on user information. However, individual tax advice is not provided.
Some complex or unusual tax matters (e.g. viticulture form) usually require individual tax advice and cannot be effectively handled online. For this reason, these forms are not offered by SteuerGo.
Who is SteuerGo suitable for?
Scope of the programme according to section 87c of the German Fiscal Code
This application can only be used by persons with unlimited tax liability in Germany for the income tax return.
Persons with limited tax liability (§ 1 para. 4 EStG) cannot use this application to create a tax return.
Unsupported forms:
- Form N-GRE – Cross-border commuters in Baden-Württemberg (workplace in France, Switzerland, Austria)
- Form L – Income from agriculture and forestry
- Form Forestry – Preferentially taxed timber use (to Form L)
- Form WINE – Non-accounting wine-growing businesses (to Form L)
Form AUS – Foreign income: This form is available from the 2023 tax year, but not for income subject to flat-rate taxation, special remuneration, addition taxation, family foundations, or negative income not tax-exempt under double taxation agreements.
A detailed description of the scope of functions for the respective tax year can be found in our FAQs of SteuerGo
Scope of the programme according to section 87c of the German Fiscal Code
For which tax years can I use SteuerGo?
With the latest version of SteuerGo, you can process your tax matters for the following years:
- Tax return for 2021
- Tax return for 2022
- Tax return for 2023
- Tax return for 2024
- Tax return for 2025
Please use SteuerGo for the following tax years only after consulting your tax office or if you are requested to submit the tax return!
- Tax return for 2016 (available until 31/03/2026)
- Tax return for 2017
- Tax return for 2018
- Tax return for 2019
- Tax return for 2020
For which tax years can I use SteuerGo?
Is SteuerGo the official programme of the tax office?
No! You can find the official ELSTER software on the tax administration portal.
However, SteuerGo has full ELSTER functionality integrated and offers significant advantages that save you a lot of time and money. After all, tax offices have no interest in helping you save on taxes.
As a genuine internet application, SteuerGo also spares you the frustrating work with official tax forms and the annual hassle of purchasing, licensing, installing, registering, updating, and repairing typical tax software on CD or DVD.
The internet application SteuerGo is developed by forium GmbH, based in Berlin, and operated on servers in modern high-security data centres in Germany. forium GmbH is independent and a leading provider of financial information on the internet.
Is SteuerGo the official programme of the tax office?
Advantages of SteuerGo over Mein Elster!
Until 2020, the tax authorities offered a standalone programme called ELSTER-Formular for processing tax returns. The programme allows employees to create their tax return in a form-based manner. However, the application does not provide tips or recommendations for saving on taxes.
ELSTER offers little support for tax novices. Often, a recommendation can bring back more money than the cost of a tax return programme. ELSTER-Formular does not offer an interview guide or input assistance. Individual forms must be added by the user, and official language makes it difficult for those unfamiliar with tax matters.
The successor product from the tax authorities, the web version "Mein Elster", is also heavily criticised:
"User-unfriendly, confusing, the help system is an absolute joke – the online product from the tax authorities called 'Mein Elster' is simply an outrage." (MDR Aktuell, 27 August 2021, 14:12).
The optimal solution for tax novices is therefore programmes offered as both offline and online versions. The advantage of an online tax return is that the user can access their tax return from anywhere at any time. With SteuerGo, neither installation nor updates are required, as the application is always up to date.
Moreover, unlike software programmes, there are no restrictions regarding the operating system: the programme can be used platform-independently and cross-platform on any computer.
ElsterFormular discontinued!
The Bavarian State Office for Taxes (BayLfSt) points out that ElsterFormular can be used for the last time in 2020 for tax returns for the year 2019.
The income tax return for the year 2020 (to be submitted in 2021) can no longer be created with the tax authorities' programme (Bavarian LfSt from 06.02.2020, Senator for Finance Bremen from 07.02.2020).
Advantages of SteuerGo over Mein Elster!
