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Accounting in Germany

Bookkeeping, annual accounts and group reporting in Germany

Accounting services for German businesses – from ongoing financial bookkeeping and annual accounts under German HGB to E-Bilanz and reporting to German or international parent companies under HGB, IFRS or U.S. GAAP.

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Integrated Accounting

From ongoing bookkeeping to German tax returns

Reliable financial bookkeeping is the foundation for annual accounts, VAT compliance, business tax returns and management reporting. Account structure, document quality, reconciliations and period-end entries directly affect the quality and efficiency of year-end work.

We organize accounting so that German commercial-law, tax and management requirements are connected. Ongoing bookkeeping, annual accounts and tax compliance can therefore be prepared from a consistent underlying data set.

For German subsidiaries of international groups, parent-company reporting requirements can also be integrated and local HGB figures can be reconciled to IFRS, U.S. GAAP or group-specific reporting rules.

Three Service Areas

Accounting from day-to-day transactions to group reporting

Bookkeeping, annual accounts and group reporting can be engaged separately or combined into an integrated accounting process.

01

Bookkeeping

Ongoing recording, reconciliation and reporting of business transactions for German entities.

  • Accounts receivable and payable
  • Bank, cash and credit cards
  • Fixed asset accounting
  • Account and balance reconciliations
  • BWA and trial balances
  • Preparation of VAT data

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02

Annual Financial Statements

Statutory annual accounts under German HGB together with the necessary closing work and documentation.

  • Balance sheet and profit and loss statement
  • Notes where required
  • Accruals and provisions
  • Depreciation
  • Closing entries
  • E-Bilanz and tax data

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03

Group Reporting

Reporting by German subsidiaries to domestic or international parent companies.

  • Reporting packages
  • Chart-of-accounts mapping
  • HGB, IFRS and U.S. GAAP adjustments
  • Intercompany reconciliations
  • Group reporting requirements
  • Support for Group Finance

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Financial Bookkeeping

Ongoing bookkeeping with direct tax integration

German financial bookkeeping can be fully outsourced or handled jointly with your internal administration or finance team. Responsibilities, data flows and processing cycles are defined clearly at the beginning.

Step 1

Setup

Chart of accounts, master data, VAT treatment, document flows and responsibilities are established.

Step 2

Ongoing Processing

Invoices, bank transactions, receivables, payables and other business transactions are processed regularly.

Step 3

Reconciliation

Bank accounts, open items, tax accounts, loans, shareholder accounts and intercompany balances are reconciled.

Step 4

Reporting

BWA reports, trial balances and other financial information are prepared for management, banks and year-end work.

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Annual Accounts in Germany

Annual financial statements under German commercial law

We prepare annual financial statements based on the ongoing bookkeeping or perform year-end closing work for internally maintained accounting systems. German statutory accounts, tax reconciliations and subsequent tax filings can be coordinated as one process.

HGB Accounts

Balance sheet and profit and loss statement

Review and closing of material balance-sheet and profit-and-loss accounts in accordance with German commercial-law requirements.

  • Prepayments and accruals
  • Provisions
  • Depreciation
  • Receivables and liabilities
  • Loans and shareholder accounts
  • Equity and profit appropriation
Tax & Disclosure

Year-end data for tax returns and E-Bilanz

The statutory HGB accounts provide the basis for the subsequent German tax and filing obligations.

  • Tax closing entries
  • E-Bilanz
  • Corporate income tax
  • Trade tax
  • Annual VAT return
  • Company Register disclosure or filing
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Accounting & German Tax

Coordinate annual accounts and German business tax returns

For German businesses, the accounting process does not normally end with the statutory balance sheet. The year-end figures also form the basis for corporate income tax, trade tax, individual income tax for sole proprietors and partnerships, and the annual VAT return.

German corporations also have E-Bilanz and commercial-law disclosure or filing obligations. When these tasks are prepared from a coordinated data set, differences between financial accounting, HGB accounts and tax values can be reconciled systematically.

This allows the accounting function to connect directly with our German business tax services.

International Expertise

Group reporting under HGB, IFRS or U.S. GAAP

German subsidiaries of international groups often have to prepare local statutory accounts under HGB while simultaneously reporting periodic financial information under the accounting and reporting requirements of the parent company.

We assist with mapping the German chart of accounts to the group chart of accounts, preparing conversion entries and completing reporting packages for Group Finance.

The work can include account documentation, intercompany reconciliations, valuation adjustments, explanatory schedules and coordination with the foreign parent company.

The scope can range from selected conversion entries to a complete recurring group reporting package.

Suitable For

Accounting for German and international businesses

GmbHs and UGs

Ongoing bookkeeping, HGB annual accounts, E-Bilanz, business tax filings and disclosure requirements.

Partnerships

Bookkeeping and annual accounting for GbRs, OHGs, KGs and other partnerships with coordinated tax support.

Sole Proprietors

Ongoing accounting and year-end work for German commercial businesses and self-employed individuals.

German Subsidiaries

Local HGB accounting combined with reporting to international parent companies.

Cross-Border Accounting

Accounting with international interfaces

German entities with foreign shareholders, parent companies or group companies often need to coordinate local accounting, tax compliance and international reporting requirements.

DE ↔ CH

Germany–Switzerland

Accounting for German entities with Swiss shareholders, parent companies or related-party transactions.

  • Intercompany reconciliations
  • Management fees and transfer pricing
  • Reporting to Swiss parent companies
  • German tax and VAT compliance
Germany–Switzerland
DE ↔ US

Germany–United States

German bookkeeping and HGB annual accounts can be combined with U.S. GAAP reporting and U.S.-related tax information.

  • U.S. GAAP reporting
  • Reporting packages for U.S. parent companies
  • Intercompany reconciliations
  • Cross-border tax and transfer pricing
Germany–United States

Related Services

Accounting and German business tax from one source

Bookkeeping, annual accounts and group reporting form the accounting service area. German VAT and business tax services can be integrated directly.

Insights

Accounting and business compliance in Germany

Additional guidance on annual accounts, German tax returns and the ongoing compliance obligations of German businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bookkeeping and annual accounts in Germany

Do you handle complete ongoing bookkeeping?
Yes. We can take over the complete financial bookkeeping. A shared arrangement with your internal administration or finance department is also possible.
Do you prepare annual financial statements under German HGB?
Yes. We prepare German statutory annual accounts and perform the necessary closing, accrual, provision and depreciation entries.
Do you also prepare the German E-Bilanz?
Yes. Tax accounting data can be prepared for electronic E-Bilanz filing and coordinated with the German business tax returns.
Do you also prepare corporate income tax and trade tax returns?
Yes. Annual accounts and accounting can be coordinated with German business tax compliance. For a GmbH or UG this typically includes corporate income tax, trade tax and VAT.
Do you support German subsidiaries of international groups?
Yes. We can combine German HGB accounting with the reporting requirements of a foreign parent company, including account mapping, intercompany reconciliations and GAAP adjustments.
Can you provide reporting under IFRS or U.S. GAAP?
The typical scope includes reconciliation of German HGB figures to IFRS, U.S. GAAP or group-specific reporting requirements and preparation of reporting packages. The exact scope is agreed for the individual engagement.
Can you take over existing or overdue bookkeeping?
Yes. We review accounting data, balances, open items, tax accounts and opening balances and then agree the necessary corrections and transition into ongoing processing.

Contact

Request bookkeeping, annual accounts or group reporting

During the initial consultation, we review the legal form, financial year, bookkeeping volume, existing systems, VAT status, internal responsibilities, annual-account requirements, group reporting obligations and the required scope of services.

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