If you’re searching for a Freiberufler vs Gewerbe tool , expect a limit up front: no software can decide this for you. The Finanzamt makes the final call, and your answers in the tax registration form are only a self-assessment. What tools can do is guide you through that form in plain language, apply the right forms afterward, and keep your records consistent. This guide covers the difference, the filing steps, and which tools help. For daily bookkeeping once you’re registered, see our bookkeeping software guide for Freiberufler . Freiberufler vs Gewerbe: the key differences A Freiberufler works under §18 EStG, in a Katalogberuf (doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, journalists, translators and similar) or a comparable scientific, artistic, writing, teaching, or educational activity. Everything else is generally a Gewerbe under §15 EStG. Consistent across the sources I checked: Freiberufler Gewerbe Registration Finanza...
Most self-employed people in Germany don’t overpay tax by mistake. They lose deductions because receipts go missing and borderline expenses never get categorized. A good deductible expenses tracker for Germany (selbstständig, whether Freiberufler or Gewerbetreibender) fixes that by capturing every receipt and flagging what’s likely a Betriebsausgabe. This guide covers what you can deduct, then the tools that help you track it. For the tools themselves, see our guides to bookkeeping software for Freiberufler and invoicing tools with Umsatzsteuer support . For filing, see our Elster guide . What counts as a deductible expense (Betriebsausgaben) Anything genuinely business-related can be a Betriebsausgabe. These categories and rules came up consistently across the sources I checked: Homeoffice-Pauschale: €6 per day at home, capped at €1,260 a year (210 days), with no separate room needed. Claim either this or the actual Arbeitszimmer costs, not both. Equipment (GWG): items up to €...