buchhaltung

Accounting · Financial Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping for businesses in Germany

Ongoing German financial bookkeeping for GmbHs, UGs, partnerships and sole proprietors – from invoice processing and account coding to VAT, management reports and preparation of the annual financial statements.

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Reliable ongoing financial data

Financial bookkeeping as the basis for German tax and annual accounts

Proper financial bookkeeping records a company's ongoing business transactions completely, consistently and in a traceable manner. It also provides the underlying data for German VAT, annual financial statements, tax returns and management reporting.

Good bookkeeping is therefore more than simply entering invoices. Bank accounts, open receivables and payables, tax accounts, loans, shareholder accounts, fixed assets and other balance-sheet positions should be reconciled on a regular basis.

We organize the bookkeeping process so that ongoing accounting and year-end tax work are closely connected. Responsibilities, digital document flows, processing intervals and reporting requirements are agreed at the start of the engagement.

Scope of services

Ongoing bookkeeping tailored to your business

The scope depends on the legal form, transaction volume, bank accounts, VAT status, internal processes and required processing frequency.

01

Ongoing transaction processing

Coding and recording ongoing business transactions.

  • Supplier invoices
  • Customer invoices
  • Other accounting documents
  • Account coding
02

Accounts receivable

Recording and reconciling customer receivables and incoming payments.

  • Customer invoices
  • Payment allocation
  • Open receivables lists
  • Receivables reconciliation
03

Accounts payable

Recording supplier invoices, payments and outstanding liabilities.

  • Supplier invoices
  • Account coding
  • Outstanding liabilities
  • Supplier reconciliation
04

Bank, cash and credit cards

Ongoing recording and reconciliation of business payment transactions.

  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Cash transactions
  • Foreign currency accounts
05

Fixed asset accounting

Recording and maintaining the company's fixed asset records.

  • Asset additions and disposals
  • Capitalization
  • Depreciation
  • Fixed asset register
06

Account reconciliations

Regular review of key balance-sheet and profit-and-loss accounts.

  • Bank accounts
  • Open receivables and payables
  • Tax accounts
  • Loans and shareholder accounts
07

Period-end adjustments

Preparation of reliable monthly and quarterly figures.

  • Prepaid expenses
  • Accrued expenses
  • Provisions
  • Period allocation
08

Management reporting

Preparation of ongoing financial information for management, banks and internal decision-making.

  • German BWA management report
  • Trial balance
  • Open-item reports
  • Individual management reports
09

German VAT

Preparation and reconciliation of bookkeeping data for German VAT compliance.

  • Output and input VAT accounts
  • VAT tax codes
  • Reverse charge
  • EU transactions
10

EC Sales Lists

Reconciliation of relevant EU transactions with bookkeeping and German VAT filings.

  • Intra-Community supplies
  • EU B2B services
  • VAT identification numbers
  • Reconciliation with VAT returns
11

Shareholders and loans

Proper accounting for transactions between the company and its shareholders.

  • Shareholder accounts
  • Loans
  • Managing director compensation
  • Distributions
12

Year-end preparation

Structured preparation of the bookkeeping for annual accounts and German tax returns.

  • Completeness review
  • Account documentation
  • Balance reconciliations
  • Year-end entries

Bookkeeping & German tax

German VAT directly from the financial bookkeeping

Ongoing bookkeeping generally provides the basis for German VAT advance returns and the subsequent annual VAT return. Accurate account coding and the use of the correct VAT tax codes are therefore particularly important.

This is especially relevant for reverse-charge transactions, intra-Community supplies and acquisitions, cross-border services and other international transactions.

When bookkeeping and tax compliance are coordinated, differences between the financial accounts, VAT advance returns and annual VAT return can be identified at an early stage.

Process

Digital document flows and regular processing cycles

Ongoing processing is adapted to your transaction volume, payment processes and applicable German tax deadlines.

Step 1

Setup

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

Step 2

Data transfer

Invoices, supporting documents, bank data and additional information are provided digitally.

Step 3

Recording and reconciliation

Business transactions are recorded and material accounts are reconciled on an ongoing basis.

Step 4

Reporting and tax

Management reports, trial balances, open items and data required for VAT and year-end work are prepared.

Cooperation Models

Adapted to your internal organization

Financial bookkeeping can be fully outsourced or handled jointly with your internal administration or finance team. Responsibilities and interfaces are clearly defined.

Outsourced

Full financial bookkeeping

We handle ongoing bookkeeping and periodic reconciliations.

  • Transaction processing
  • Accounts receivable and payable
  • Bank and cash
  • Account reconciliations
  • Management reporting
  • Year-end preparation
Shared

Cooperation with your team

Internal administrative work and external professional accounting services are divided efficiently.

  • Internal document processing
  • External coding or review
  • Account reconciliations
  • VAT review
  • Year-end entries
  • Quality assurance

Suitable for

Bookkeeping for different German business structures

GmbH

Ongoing bookkeeping with preparation for annual accounts, corporate income tax, trade tax and E-Bilanz.

UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Structured bookkeeping for start-ups, early-stage companies and growing businesses.

Partnerships

Bookkeeping for GbRs, OHGs, KGs and other German partnerships, including partner-related transactions.

Sole proprietors

Financial bookkeeping for commercial businesses and self-employed individuals with ongoing German tax support.

Taking over existing bookkeeping

A structured transfer from your previous accountant or tax adviser

When taking over existing bookkeeping, we first review the chart of accounts, opening balances, open items, bank reconciliations, tax accounts and material balance-sheet positions.

Prior VAT advance returns should also be reconciled with the financial bookkeeping so that existing differences are not carried forward without review.

Missing entries, unexplained balances or overdue periods can be addressed in a separate catch-up work package. Ongoing bookkeeping then starts from a traceable and reliable basis.

Proper bookkeeping

Digital bookkeeping with traceable documentation

Even fully digital bookkeeping must document business transactions in a traceable manner and retain supporting documents in accordance with German requirements.

This includes clear document flows, consistent account coding, traceable corrections and organized retention of tax-relevant records.

Electronic bookkeeping and document systems should in particular take into account the German GoBD requirements and statutory record-retention obligations.

Related Services

From bookkeeping to annual accounts and German tax returns

Ongoing financial bookkeeping can be coordinated with annual accounts, VAT, business tax compliance and tax-procedure support.

Insights

Bookkeeping and business tax in Germany

Additional guidance covers annual financial statements, tax returns and the ongoing compliance obligations of German businesses.

Frequently asked questions

Bookkeeping for businesses in Germany

Do you handle the complete ongoing bookkeeping?
Yes. We can take over the complete ongoing financial bookkeeping. A shared arrangement with your internal administration or finance team is also possible.
Which types of businesses do you provide bookkeeping for?
We primarily assist GmbHs, UGs, partnerships and sole proprietors. The exact scope depends on the legal form, business activity, transaction volume and German tax requirements.
Can all accounting documents be submitted digitally?
Yes. Documents and accounting data can be exchanged digitally. The process is adapted to the systems already in use and the company's internal approval procedures.
Do you also prepare German VAT advance returns?
Yes. Bookkeeping can be combined with ongoing German VAT compliance. Depending on the engagement, this can include VAT advance returns, EC Sales Lists and the annual VAT return.
Do you provide BWA reports and trial balances?
Yes. Ongoing reports can include German BWA management reports, trial balances and open accounts receivable and payable reports.
Can you bring overdue bookkeeping up to date?
Yes. After an initial review, missing periods, unexplained balances, open items and incorrect opening balances can be corrected in a separate catch-up engagement.
Do you also prepare the annual accounts and tax returns?
Yes. Ongoing bookkeeping can be coordinated with the preparation of annual financial statements and German business tax returns. For corporations, this typically includes corporate income tax, trade tax, VAT and E-Bilanz reporting.
What information do you need to prepare a fee proposal?
Helpful information includes the legal form, financial year, approximate number of monthly transactions and documents, bank accounts, credit cards, accounts receivable and payable, VAT status, foreign currencies, accounting software currently used and the preferred processing frequency.

Contact

Request bookkeeping services for your business

During the initial consultation, we review the legal form, transaction volume, document flows, bank accounts, accounts receivable and payable, VAT status, existing systems, internal responsibilities and the required scope of services.

Request a proposal Accounting Overview