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Taxes & Duties

File a preliminary sales tax return

Regular (monthly or quarterly) electronic filing of sales tax returns with the tax office via ELSTER, with advance payment of the calculated sales tax.

Wo wohnen Sie?

Damit wir File a preliminary sales tax return mit dem zuständigen Finanzamt in Ihrer Stadt anzeigen können.

Oder Großstadt wählen:

Sie werden zur geführten Suche weitergeleitet – mit Kontaktdaten, Termin und nächsten Schritten für File a preliminary sales tax return.

Processing: 1 daySuccess rate: 98.0 %
Last reviewed: August 03, 2026Verified sources:ELSTER – Finanzverwaltung

Quick answer

  1. 1

    Documents you need

    Steuerunterlagen / Belege · Formular / Antrag

  2. 2

    Responsible authority

    The authority of your main residence

  3. 3

    How to do it

    Apply directly online

  4. 4

    Costs

    Kostenlos über ELSTER

Find the responsible authority

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Set the pre-registration period

    Monthly or quarterly, depending on the amount of sales tax paid in the previous year.

  2. 2

    Submit the preliminary registration via ELSTER

    By the 10th day following the end of the pre-registration period.

  3. 3

    Payment of sales tax

    Due at the same time as the submission of the preliminary registration.

Responsible authority

The authority of your main place of residence is responsible.Find authority →

The essentials before applying

Who is eligible?

Business owners and self-employed individuals who do not take advantage of the small business tax exemption.

Income limit

Processing time

Nationwide: approx. 1 day

Success rate

approx. 98.0 % (estimate)

Most common mistakes

  • Failure to meet the filing deadline (10 days after the end of the advance filing period)
  • No extension of the deadline was requested, resulting in consistently tight deadlines

Common reasons for rejection

  • Unvollständige oder fehlende Unterlagen
  • Antrag nicht rechtzeitig oder bei falschem Amt gestellt

Alternatives

  • Check related services in the application assistant
  • Use social counselling before applying

If rejected

File a written objection within 30 days – with reasons why the decision is wrong and any missing evidence.

Related services

Questions & Answers

Can I get an extension?

With a permanent extension, the filing deadline for the advance VAT return can be postponed by one month, provided a special advance payment is made for monthly filings.

Freshness & source

Maintenance
Continuously reviewed & updated
Source
ELSTER – Finanzverwaltung
Data quality
100 %

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