Freelancers - Do you need a tax advisor?
Last updated on Jun 23, 2025
Kate Bailey
Freelance Editor
Mar 25, 2019
How good is your German, really?
Ok. Maybe, just maybe, you can get away with filling in your forms by yourself and getting yourself set up. However, this is about more than that. The Finanzamt will often be sending you lengthy letters and the question is: could you know and respond to everything effectively? There’s nothing worse than missing important deadlines simply because you did not understand the letter. An advisor simply contacts you with what they need from you and by when - super handy!
Do you need extra time to report to the Finanzamt ?
Well, as you’ll know from our previous articles on the blog ( Freelancers - Understanding the German Tax Year ) - your tax should be ready for submission… some weeks ago! Now, here is one fantastic benefit to having a tax advisor - you would have until the end of the year to have it in. So now could really be the time to hand it over. Usually, you will give your advisor the equivalent to a power-of-attorney meaning they will take on all of the communication with the Finanzamt and give them an indication as to when the returns will be ready. Of course, this kind of situation is not ideal, but at least there is a solution… and of course, it would never happen again, right?!
No messing about...
The reality of freelancer life in Germany is that you can not afford to take chances when it comes to taxes. Remember, just check those ToyTown forums for all the horror stories. The question is not ‘should I make sure all my taxes are in order?’ it should be ‘’Can I reasonably keep them in order myself or do I need a tax advisor?’’. Be realistic, take into account tools like Kontist, Debitoor and FastBill, your own time, the frequency of your taxes and everything we have discussed above - and make the call! Just not too late, of course.
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Kate Bailey
Freelance Editor