simplyELSTERplus review
A free, guided web workflow for German employees with straightforward tax returns.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
simplyELSTERplus is a browser-based German tax filing application in the ELSTER family. It is designed for individual residents of Germany who file alone, have employment income, and hold a valid ELSTER certificate. The question-based workflow replaces traditional forms with guided prompts, while support for tax years 2023, 2024, and 2025 gives eligible filers a current filing path. The service is free and runs in the cloud through a web browser.
Its main strength is the end-to-end filing flow. Users can log in with an ELSTER certificate or ELSTER Secure, retrieve available electronic tax data such as wage tax certificates and insurance information, and receive automatic checks on declared information. The completed return can be submitted digitally to the tax office, or existing information can be transferred to Mein ELSTER without re-entering it. The workflow also covers selected professional expenses, donations, insurance, and extraordinary expenses. These features make it a focused option for people who want guided preparation rather than a traditional form-led process.
The trade-off is scope. simplyELSTERplus is positioned for simple cases involving employment income, so filers with more varied tax situations may be better served by a broader tax suite. Its web-only format also means the product is not presented as a mobile app. Support is available through chat, phone, ticket, community, and documentation channels, while the stated compliance signal is ISO 27001; 24/7 support is not part of the offering. Choose simplyELSTERplus for a free, guided route into German electronic filing. Consider an alternative when you need a wider range of tax scenarios or a broader feature set.
simplyELSTERplus pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free guided workflow with automatic checks
- Retrieves electronic tax data and submits directly
- Transfers existing data to Mein ELSTER
- Where it doesn't
- Web-only access
- Designed for simple employment-income cases
- Narrower feature scope than broader tax suites
simplyELSTERplus fact sheet, pricing and score →
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