“financial test”
Tax filing: These are the best tax programs
Control programs can be of great help
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Which tax program is best for tax returns? The experts from “Finanztest” have tested programs for the PC and cell phone apps.
Tax programs can help to get more out of the tax return. The tax return for 2021 must be submitted by July 31, 2022. The experts from “Finanztest” have tested the current versions of the various providers.
Users have the choice between download programs for the PC, web variants that can be filled out directly in the browser and smartphone apps. The results ranged from “very good” to “sufficient”.
Control programs in the test: Wiso convinces
The test winner is the Wiso Steuer-Sparbuch 2022 for download. The program from the provider Buhl Data solved all tax cases in the test brilliantly and determined the correct refunds. The testers were also impressed by the explanations and tips as well as the clear user guidance. The only drawback: At 40 euros (30 euros with a subscription), it is also the most expensive offer in the field.
If that’s too much for you, you can use the slimmed-down version Tax 2022 for 15 euros from the same provider. It uses the same calculation engine and is also “very good”.
But you can also use the download programs from the two major competitor providers Haufe (Taxman, Quicksteuer) and Akademische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (tax savings declaration, tax saver, Steuereasy) without hesitation – they are also recommended according to “Finanztest”.
Some browser programs and apps are weak
The browser programs and smartphone apps fare weaker. Only the Wiso Steuer-Web is very good here, some other browser offers even only achieve a “sufficient”. The same picture emerges with the helpers for smartphones: The Wiso app is in the lead, the rest have to be satisfied with satisfactory to sufficient.
The free alternative to the commercial tax program is Elster, the online portal of the tax offices. There you can also fill out the tax return digitally. According to “Finanztest”, this is only recommended for experienced users, since you have to do without tips on saving opportunities. In this way it is easy to give away amounts that are many times the price of a tax program. The few euros for a tax program are therefore well invested.
You can find the complete test of the control programs on for a fee www.test.de