Find direct answers regarding platform integration, target demographics, regulatory responsibilities, and data privacy. For technical API implementation details, please visit our Integration page.
Which tax features can we offer our end customers via AnyTax?
Primarily, your users can prepare their income tax returns directly within your platform, view their expected refunds, and seamlessly submit their tax filings to the tax authorities. Building on this foundation, you can integrate additional tax features, such as tax planning features or scenario analysis.
Which platforms and industries benefit from integrating tax features?
Generally, our solution is ideal for any platform looking to offer seamless, in-app tax features — especially those where relevant financial data is already available. FinTechs, traditional banks, neobanks, wealth management apps, crypto platforms, financial advisors, and insurtechs particularly benefit from embedding these features, as they can leverage existing user data to power modern tax experiences.
Why do platforms offer tax features to their users?
Taxes are a recurring, highly relevant topic that affects users once a year. For platforms, this creates a valuable touchpoint to engage customers exactly when they are focused on their personal finances. If financial data is already available on the platform, it can be used to pre-fill relevant entries in the tax filing — saving users time and delivering direct product value.
What data and added value do platforms gain from integrated tax features?
Tax features capture comprehensive user data. With explicit user consent, your platform can leverage this data beyond the tax return itself — for instance, to power dynamic tax planning features, highlight deductible expenses, or provide targeted financial forecasts.
Do end customers see that AnyTax is the underlying technology provider?
This is entirely up to you. In the standard user flow, AnyTax remains completely invisible. The tax features blend natively into your platform's UI design and corporate branding.
Which integration options are available for our product?
We offer four flexible integration paths: a REST API for full control over your UX, SDKs with customizable UI components, our turnkey white-label solution, and custom integrations tailored to complex enterprise requirements.
End Users & Tax Process
How does the creation and submission of the tax return work?
Users are guided step-by-step through their tax-relevant inputs via clear, easy-to-understand questions. Following an automated plausibility check, the tax return is submitted directly from your platform to the tax authorities via the ELSTER interface.
Do users need additional accounts or third-party software for their tax return?
Not at all. The entire preparation and submission process takes place directly within your platform. End customers don't need to install external tax software or create a separate AnyTax account, as authentication (e.g., via SSO) is handled natively by your system. This also completely eliminates the need for manual data exports.
Do end users need an ELSTER certificate?
No. Submissions are routed directly from your platform through the AnyTax API and our ELSTER interface. End users do not need their own ELSTER certificate file or a personal ELSTER account to file their taxes.
How long does processing take at the tax office, and how reliable is the tax estimation?
Processing times are determined entirely by the tax authorities, though experience shows users typically receive their tax assessment within 2 to 8 weeks. The estimated tax refund is based on calculation logic, but it does not represent a legally binding refund guarantee.
What happens if users enter incorrect information?
Automated plausibility checks flag incomplete or contradictory entries before submission, helping to catch errors early on. However, providing truthful, accurate information and conducting the final review of the tax return remains the sole responsibility of the end user. If any ambiguities remain, the tax office may reach out directly to the user after submission.
Which tax scenarios are covered?
AnyTax covers the vast majority of taxpayer profiles — ranging from standard income tax returns (including joint filings and child allowances) to investment income (Anlage KAP) and more complex cases like crypto assets (Anlage SO). We continuously expand our coverage and can develop specific tax modules on demand for our partners. Before starting an integration, we always conduct a joint assessment to ensure your target audience's specific tax scenarios are fully supported.
Data Privacy, Legal & Terms
Does AnyTax or our platform provide tax advice?
No. Neither AnyTax nor your platform acts as a tax advisor under the German Tax Advisory Act (StBerG). AnyTax simply provides the software infrastructure that enables self-service tax features for end customers. All tax calculations are fully automated. There is no individual assessment of a user's specific tax situation, and neither party performs reserved statutory advisory services.
How is GDPR compliance and data security ensured?
AnyTax processes and stores all data exclusively in German data centers, with strictly zero data processing in third countries. Data transmission and storage follow modern encryption and security standards. Submissions to the tax authorities are routed through the ELSTER interface.
Who is the contractual partner for end users, and who owns the data?
Your platform remains the sole contractual partner to your end customers. From a legal standpoint, AnyTax acts strictly as a technical data processor under a Data Processing Agreement (DPA). You retain 100% of the customer relationship.
Do we need to update the tax logic ourselves when tax laws change, or does AnyTax handle that?
AnyTax manages all legislative updates, new ELSTER specifications, and changes to calculation logic centrally as an Infrastructure-as-a-Service provider. Your platform automatically benefits from these updates, meaning zero maintenance overhead for your engineering team.
How are the costs structured for using the tax infrastructure?
Pricing is tailored to your specific setup, depending on the chosen integration path, the required feature scope, and your expected usage volume. Commercial terms are evaluated and agreed upon individually.
