In 2026, filing a tax return from an iPhone is no longer a problem for most employees. This comparison covers the best iOS tax apps for employees, freelancers, the self-employed and retirees, because each group comes with…
This comparison focuses on apps and prices in the German App Store. Availability and prices can differ in other regions.
In 2026, filing a tax return from an iPhone is no longer a problem for most employees. This comparison covers the best iOS tax apps for employees, freelancers, the self-employed and retirees, because each group comes with different requirements. The useful questions are practical ones: whether an app supports employees, freelancers and the self-employed or only employees; whether AI-assisted receipt recognition is included; the cost per return or per subscription; whether a submission can be transmitted directly to the tax office in an ELSTER-compatible way; the quality of support; and whether a cost preview appears before payment. The market spans conversational apps that guide employees through an interview as well as bookkeeping solutions for the self-employed. As of March 2026, Steuerbot has refined its interface and remains the most accessible conversational option, while Accountable is the bookkeeping answer gaining ground among the self-employed.
Our verdict
Tax is rarely fun, but the right app cuts the effort considerably, and the market is surprisingly differentiated, from a simple employee app to a freelancer solution with bookkeeping built in. The most useful guide is by case complexity: WISO and SteuerSparErklärung for complex situations, Taxfix and Steuerbot for uncomplicated employee returns. The other apps fill the gaps around that core, from official state tools to specialist receipt and mileage helpers.
Steuerbot guides users through the return in a chat format, replacing form-filling with targeted questions, and is aimed at employees, trainees, students and retirees. It is free until submission and then costs €39.99, with an alternative to pay only after the tax assessment arrives; both options include the ELSTER submission and all standard functions. It is the lowest-threshold entry point, even for app-unsavvy users. It does not support the self-employed needing section 18 EStG help, and anyone seeking a cheaper annual option should compare WISO.
WISO is Germany's most-used tax app and handles every type of income, so employees, the self-employed and landlords can all declare their sources in one place. It can retrieve prefilled tax data directly from the tax office. It is free to try, with a one-time purchase of €35.99 per tax year covering all functions, including the ELSTER submission and the data retrieval. It suits anyone wanting the most proven and most reviewed app in the country, but is harder to justify for a simple employee return that could stay under €35.
ElsterSecure is completely free and provided by the Bavarian State Tax Office, with no in-app purchases and no advertising; it is a purely public-law app. It is not a tax program itself but an official authenticator for ELSTER, used to log in more securely and replace the weaker password login with a smartphone-based one. It is essential as a security key for anyone using the ELSTER portal directly. It makes no sense without the portal, and less technically confident users may find the setup involved.
Accountable is built for the self-employed, bringing taxes, VAT advance returns, the income-surplus statement and invoices together in one place, with a free business account and XRechnung support. The base version is free; the full subscription starts at €15.50 a month on annual billing plus VAT, and only the subscription unlocks the VAT, income-surplus and income-tax submissions. It is the bookkeeping pick for freelancers and is overkill for an employee making a simple return.
Lohnsteuer kompakt works across app and browser, stores data on German servers and can retrieve data directly from the tax office. It is free to try and costs €34.95 at submission as a one-time purchase per tax year, with the German-server data handling included at no extra cost. It is essentially a desktop solution with a weak app alongside it, solid for PC users even though iOS is not the product's focus. It suits the self-employed managing many income sources and anyone valuing German data protection.
Some apps were not returned for this store region.
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