Services
From the first registration to the annual financial statements. What we take on for companies and private clients in Germany.
Where to read on in detail
Corporate services
Bookkeeping, payroll, financial statements and tax returns for companies operating in Germany
Go to pageCompany formation
Choice of legal form, incorporation and registration of a German company
Go to pageWhat we actually do
Ongoing work
- Financial bookkeeping
- Reporting and management figures
- Payroll accounting
- Preliminary VAT returns
- EC sales lists
- Correspondence with the tax office
Registrations
- Tax registration with the tax office
- VAT registration and VAT identification number
- Registration with the social security authorities
- Registration with local authorities
- Advice on applying for an AÜG licence (employee leasing)
Year-end work
- Financial statements with balance sheet, P&L and notes
- Cash-basis accounts (Einnahmen-Überschuss-Rechnung)
- Corporate income tax return
- Trade tax return
- Annual VAT return
- Filing with the German company register
Advisory
- Choice of legal form and incorporation
- Freelancers and contractors with projects in Germany
- Employees with income in Germany
- Property acquisition and letting
- Inheritance and gift tax
About us
Cosmotax GmbH is a medium-sized German tax consultancy firm based in Munich. We specialise in advising foreign corporate and private clients on their activities and investments in Germany.
Our tax advisers gained many years of experience at international firms such as Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Our working methods and quality standards come from there; our fees follow the German Tax Advisers' Fee Regulation.
For cross-border matters we work with colleagues abroad and bring them in wherever the law of another country is involved. What has to be done in Germany, we do ourselves.
Each area has its own specialists. You speak to someone who handles your subject every day.
Frequently asked questions
How does moving from my current adviser work?
Straightforwardly. We request the files from your current adviser — a power of attorney from you is enough. With DATEV the bookkeeping data transfers in full, so prior-year comparisons and open items survive the move. A change at the turn of the year is simplest, but mid-year works just as well.
What does the advice cost?
For most activities the German Tax Advisers' Fee Regulation (StBVV) sets the frame: a fee table, a transaction value and a tenth-rate within a range. The fee is therefore not freely negotiable, but it is verifiable by you.
For recurring work — bookkeeping, payroll, preliminary returns — we can agree a monthly flat fee. Before any engagement you receive a written estimate.
Do I have to come to the office with documents?
No. We accept receipts digitally and hold meetings by video. For clients who do not live in Germany that is the normal way of working — some of our clients have never been to Munich.
Can you take on individual tasks rather than the whole function?
Yes. A VAT registration, a single income tax return or a review of one set of facts can be handled in isolation. Ongoing bookkeeping and annual accounts are by their nature a continuing arrangement.
Which language will my reports be in?
We enter posting texts in German, English or Russian. The reports themselves — trial balance, management figures, fixed asset schedule — DATEV produces in German and English. Explanations and correspondence we handle in your language.
Are advisory fees deductible?
Partly. Whatever relates to determining income — bookkeeping, profit computation, the schedules for each type of income — is deductible as a business expense or as income-related expenses. The part relating to private life has not been deductible since 2006. We show the split separately on the invoice.
Which subject concerns you?
Describe your case briefly. We will tell you what needs doing and what it costs.