Kontist: The Deutsche Bank alternative for busy freelancers

Kontist is a Berlin-based fintech company founded in 2016, specializing in digital banking solutions for freelancers and self-employed professionals in Germany. Operating in partnership with Solaris SE, a licensed German bank, Kontist provides business bank accounts that integrate seamlessly with bookkeeping and automated tax management tools.

Deutsche Bank AG is Germany’s largest bank and a major global financial institution, headquartered in Frankfurt and founded in 1870. It offers a full range of services in corporate banking, investment banking, private banking, and asset management through its subsidiary DWS.

You can apply for an overdraft between €500 and €3,000, providing a financial cushion when needed. You can apply directly in the app and will typically receive a decision within 30 minutes. Interest is only charged on the amount you use and there are no additional fees.

Sending your VAT declaration to the tax office is included in the Plus plan. There is no additional charge for this service.

When you open a Kontist account, your income tax rate is set to a default. But to make a more accurate calculation, use our Taxator Tool. With just a few simple answers, we’ll calculate your average income tax rate for the year. 

You can then enter your average income tax rate in the app settings. Once you’ve done so, Kontist will automatically set aside the amount you’ll need for your income tax later on. So you always know what belongs to you. You can adjust this at any time if your income changes over the course of the year.

For your VAT, the Kontist app automatically sets aside the standard 19% for your incoming transactions. You can of course adjust the rate for each transaction or deactivate it in the settings if you don’t collect VAT at all.