The Expense Tracker Built for German Freiberufler & Selbstständige
Auto-scan Belege from Gmail. Track Betriebsausgaben, Fahrtkosten, and Vorsteuer. Export EÜR-ready categories straight to Google Sheets — then hand it to your Steuerberater.
60-day free trial · No credit card · $10/mo flat (~€9.50)
Why German Freelancers Need a Dedicated Expense Tracker
The German tax system has specific requirements that generic trackers don't handle.
😩 Without ExpenseBot
- ✗Receipts pile up in Gmail — Amazon.de, DB Bahn, Zalando orders
- ✗EÜR requires Betriebsausgaben by category — manual every time
- ✗Vorsteuer amounts buried in PDFs — you miss the deductions
- ✗Steuerberater asks for organized records — you hand them chaos
- ✗Belegaufbewahrungspflicht (10-year retention) = boxes of paper
✅ With ExpenseBot
- ✓Gmail scanned overnight — every Beleg found and categorized
- ✓EÜR categories auto-assigned — Reisekosten, Bürokosten, Software
- ✓Vorsteuer (19%/7%) extracted from every receipt automatically
- ✓Clean Google Sheet ready for your Steuerberater in one click
- ✓Digital archive in your Google Drive — 10-year retention covered
How ExpenseBot Works for German Tax
Built around the EÜR workflow — from Beleg to Steuerberater export.
Gmail Auto-Scan for German Vendors
Connect Gmail once. ExpenseBot automatically finds receipts from Amazon.de, Deutsche Bahn, REWE, dm, Zalando, IKEA, MediaMarkt, and thousands more German merchants — overnight, without forwarding rules.
EÜR-Mapped Categories
Every expense is assigned to an EÜR Betriebsausgaben category: Reisekosten, Bürokosten, EDV/Software, Werbekosten, Telefon/Internet, and more. Totals map to the line items your Steuerberater needs.
Vorsteuer Auto-Extracted
German receipts include 19% or 7% Umsatzsteuer. ExpenseBot pulls that amount from each receipt automatically. If you're USt-pflichtig, your quarterly USt-Voranmeldung becomes a lookup, not a calculation.
Google Sheets Export
Your year-end report is a Google Sheet: every Betriebsausgabe listed, Vorsteuer totals by rate, and every original receipt image linked. Hand it to your Steuerberater — or use it to prepare your ELSTER filing yourself.
Scan Receipts on the Go
Got a paper receipt from a Café or hardware store? Snap a photo in the ExpenseBot mobile scanner. The amount, date, and category are extracted automatically — no typing.
Bank Statement Reconciliation
Upload your Kontoauszug from Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Sparkasse, N26, or any German bank. AI matches transactions to receipts and flags anything missing — so nothing falls through the cracks.
Also track income from clients → Income & Expense Tracker for your full EÜR (Einnahmen minus Betriebsausgaben).
Fahrtkosten für Freiberufler — Kilometerpauschale 2026
Germany's mileage deduction rules differ by trip type. ExpenseBot handles both.
Pendlerpauschale (Daily Commute)
- €0.30/km for the first 20km each way
- €0.38/km for each km beyond 20km
- One-way distance only (home → workplace)
- Deducted as Werbungskosten for employees; for Freiberufler it applies to the first workplace
Dienstreisen (Business Travel)
- €0.30/km flat rate, full distance
- Applies to client visits, conferences, site visits
- No 20km cap — full deduction as Reisekosten
- Log separately from daily commute trips
Track all trips in the ExpenseBot mileage calculator. Google Calendar client visits imported automatically — distance calculated via Google Maps.
Kleinunternehmer vs. USt-pflichtig — ExpenseBot Works for Both
Your VAT status changes what you track. ExpenseBot handles both modes correctly.
🟡 Kleinunternehmer (<€25,000 Umsatz)
Under the Kleinunternehmerregelung (§ 19 UStG), you don't charge Umsatzsteuer on your invoices and can't claim Vorsteuerabzug. You still need to track all Betriebsausgaben for your EÜR — the expense data is identical, just without the VAT split.
- ✓ Full Betriebsausgaben tracking
- ✓ EÜR categories still apply
- ✓ Vorsteuer shown as informational (not claimable)
- ✓ No mode settings to change
🟢 USt-pflichtig (über €25,000 Umsatz)
Once you're USt-pflichtig, you charge 19% or 7% on invoices and file quarterly USt-Voranmeldungen via ELSTER. Every input tax (Vorsteuer) you pay on business expenses is reclaimable — ExpenseBot extracts it automatically from each Beleg.
- ✓ 19% and 7% Vorsteuer extracted per receipt
- ✓ Quarterly totals for USt-Voranmeldung
- ✓ Full Betriebsausgaben + VAT-split export
- ✓ Hand totals to Steuerberater for ELSTER
Belegaufbewahrungspflicht: German tax law requires retaining all business receipts for 10 years (§ 147 AO). ExpenseBot stores every receipt image in your Google Drive with original timestamps — so you're covered without maintaining paper archives.
German Freelancer Tax at a Glance
Tax authority: Finanzamt (via ELSTER) | Currency: EUR | Form: EÜR (Anlage EÜR) + Steuererklärung
Filing Deadlines (2025 Tax Year)
- Without Steuerberater: 31 July 2026
- With Steuerberater: Up to 28 February 2027
- USt-Voranmeldung: Quarterly or monthly (10th of following month)
Income Tax (Einkommensteuer)
- 0% up to €11,784 (Grundfreibetrag 2024)
- 14–42% progressive rate up to €277,826
- 42% top rate above €66,761
- 45% Reichensteuersatz above €277,826
Umsatzsteuer (VAT) Rates
- 19% standard rate (most goods/services)
- 7% reduced rate (food, books, public transport)
- Kleinunternehmer: exempt below €25,000 Umsatz
Sozialversicherung (Self-Employed)
- Freiberufler are NOT subject to mandatory Rentenversicherung (unless in regulated professions)
- Krankenversicherung: ~15–18% of income (private or public)
- Künstlersozialkasse: applies to creative freelancers (art, music, journalism)
Key Betriebsausgaben (EÜR Line Items)
- Reisekosten: Fahrtkosten, hotel, Verpflegungsmehraufwand
- Bürokosten: rent, supplies, home office (Homeoffice-Pauschale €6/day, max €1,260/year)
- EDV/Software: laptops, subscriptions, cloud tools
- Werbekosten: marketing, website, design
- Fortbildungskosten: courses, professional development
Homeoffice-Pauschale 2026
- €6/day for days worked exclusively from home
- Maximum €1,260/year (210 days)
- No separate "home office room" required since 2023
- Track work-from-home days in ExpenseBot notes
Rates for 2025/2026 tax year. Always confirm figures with your Steuerberater before filing.
ExpenseBot vs. SevDesk vs. Lexoffice for German Freelancers
SevDesk and Lexoffice are full accounting suites. ExpenseBot focuses on what most freelancers actually need: automated receipt capture + EÜR-ready export.
SevDesk and Lexoffice are excellent full-accounting tools — use them if you need invoicing, payroll, or DATEV export. ExpenseBot is the right choice if you want automated Beleg capture + EÜR export and already handle invoicing elsewhere (or don't need it).
Track your Betriebsausgaben for your Steuerberater. ExpenseBot auto-categorises to EÜR line items and exports to Google Sheets in EUR. Filing in another country? See the UK expense tracker for HMRC Self Assessment or the Irish expense tracker for Revenue Form 11.
60-day free trial • No credit card • Your data stays in your Google Drive
German Merchants We Auto-Recognise
Receipts from these German merchants are categorised automatically — no manual tagging. Vorsteuer (19% or 7%) is extracted based on what's on the receipt.
Not on the list? ExpenseBot's AI extractor handles receipts from any German or international merchant — the list above shows the most common ones with automatic category defaults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kann ich ExpenseBot für die EÜR verwenden?
Yes. ExpenseBot's expense categories map to the main line items of the Einnahmen-Überschuss-Rechnung (EÜR) — Betriebsausgaben groups like Reisekosten, Bürokosten, EDV/Software, and Werbekosten. Your year-end Google Sheets report lists totals by category, which you or your Steuerberater transfer into Anlage EÜR or your ELSTER filing. We don't file directly to ELSTER — no third-party tool does — but the structured export makes that step fast.
Erfüllt ExpenseBot die GoBD-Anforderungen?
ExpenseBot is not a GoBD-certified Buchführungssoftware — we're a receipt tracker, not a full bookkeeping system. However, every receipt scanned via Gmail or photo is stored in your Google Drive with timestamps and original images, which supports the digital audit-trail principle behind GoBD. For formal GoBD compliance, work with a certified Steuerberater who can advise on your specific situation. Most German freelancers using EÜR (cash-basis Überschussrechnung) have lighter documentation requirements than larger businesses subject to full Buchführungspflicht.
Kann ich die Vorsteuer tracken?
Yes. When you're USt-pflichtig (VAT-registered), ExpenseBot extracts the Umsatzsteuer amounts from your receipts — both 19% standard rate and 7% reduced rate. These are recorded in your expense sheet so you can claim Vorsteuerabzug on your quarterly USt-Voranmeldung. Kleinunternehmer (below the €25,000 threshold) don't charge or reclaim USt, but expense data is still tracked correctly — Vorsteuer amounts appear as informational only.
Was ist der Unterschied zu SevDesk?
SevDesk and Lexoffice are full cloud accounting suites — invoicing, DATEV export, payroll, the whole stack. They're great if you need all of that. ExpenseBot focuses on one thing: capturing Belege automatically (from Gmail, photos, PDFs) and exporting organized Betriebsausgaben to Google Sheets. If you already handle invoicing elsewhere and just want the receipt-capture side automated, ExpenseBot is simpler and costs less. Many German freelancers pair ExpenseBot for receipt capture with a separate invoicing tool.
Funktioniert ExpenseBot mit ELSTER?
ExpenseBot doesn't connect directly to ELSTER — ELSTER requires login by you or your Steuerberater and no third-party tool integrates natively. What ExpenseBot produces is a structured Google Sheets export with Betriebsausgaben totals by EÜR category, ready for Anlage EÜR. Your Steuerberater opens the sheet, confirms the numbers, and enters them into ELSTER in minutes. Most clients who hand over their ExpenseBot spreadsheet report their Steuerberater completes the EÜR portion in under an hour.
Kann ich Fahrtkosten tracken?
Yes. For business travel (Dienstreisen), ExpenseBot uses the German Kilometerpauschale: €0.30/km. For daily commute (Pendlerpauschale), the rate is €0.30/km for the first 20km and €0.38/km beyond that. Log trips in the mileage tracker or import client visits from Google Calendar — distance is calculated automatically via Google Maps. See the full details on the ExpenseBot mileage calculator page.
Was kostet ExpenseBot?
ExpenseBot costs $10/month (approximately €9.50 depending on exchange rate), billed monthly with no annual commitment. There's a 60-day free trial — no credit card required. Compare that to SevDesk at €19–€50/month or Lexoffice at €9–€36/month for full accounting suite features you may not need as a freelancer who just wants automated Beleg capture.
Ist ExpenseBot auf Deutsch verfügbar?
The ExpenseBot interface is in English. However, receipts in German (or any language) are processed automatically — German vendor names like Deutsche Bahn, Amazon.de, REWE, dm, MediaMarkt, and Zalando are recognized and categorized correctly. The output Google Sheet uses column headers you can rename, and German amounts in EUR are handled natively. Many German tech freelancers in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg use it without any friction.
Start Now, Thank Yourself at Steuerzeit
Every day you wait is more Belege to hunt down later. Connect Gmail today and let ExpenseBot build your EÜR automatically.
Trusted by freelancers in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, and across Germany
Individual Gmail Users
Freiberufler, Selbstständige, freelancers
✓ No credit card required • ✓ 60-day free trial • ✓ Cancel anytime
✓ Your data in your Google Drive — we never store it
Gmail Receipt Scanner | Income & Expense Tracker | Mileage Calculator | Freelancer Details | UK Expense Tracker
