ELSTER is a good software to use, but it’s all in German. However, you first need to request a login & a password, which arrives by post in separate letters for maximum security.
Alternative 1: you can use ELSTER, which is the official software published by the German tax authorities. There are different alternatives to do that. Since January 2021, this form must be submitted electronically to your local Finanzamt. It’s a small questionnaire to let your Finanzamt know that you plan to become a freelancer in Germany. This is what you need to register as a freelancer in Germany:įill in the form called Fragebogen zur steuerliche Erfassung. However, please hold in mind that some occupations will require a specific degree to be able to work in that field. Registering as a freelancer in Germany is a fairly straightforward process as it doesn’t involve registering a corporation or getting trade permits. 
Registering as a freelancer in Germany (Freiberufler) It will redirect you to another guide on this blog. If not, just click on the link for each topic.
Having a valid residence permit (for non EU citizens). Doing your Anmeldung to register your residence in Germany. In that part, I will assume all that you have already cleared the following things: In this case, you will need to register a business ( Gewerbe), which explains why the term “Gewerbetreibende” is used to differentiate this category. Most often than not, it is about building, trading or selling physical stuff. Any other sort of commercial entreprise usually falls under the classification of business in Germany. Gewerbetreibende or tradesman/business: this is linked to all other kinds of occupations that don’t qualify for the official freelancer definition. Freelancing in Germany does not require to register a business which involves less paperwork. If you still have a doubt, feel free to ask in the comments. You can find a complete list of those professions here or here. 
Those can range from dancers to doctors, from architects to journalists, from lawyers to programmers. Those professions are often linked to some sort of scholar, academic or creative service, as defined in income tax law here (EStG § 18).
Freiberuflich or freelancer: it is one specific type of self-employment that is limited to only a certain number of liberal occupations. Self-employment can be divided into 2 broad categories: Although it does sound similar, there are pretty substantial differences between the two. The difference between freelancer & self-employed: which one are you?īefore worrying about documents, registration, taxes and so on, you will need to understand the difference between being a freelancer and being self-employed in Germany. You might want to prepare a cup of tea before diving in. 
Disclaimer: Please note that this is an attempt at covering an excessively broad topic.
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