Mein ELSTER

What Mein ELSTER is

Mein ELSTER is a free online tax office for sending tax data electronically without paper. Its listed functions include transferring prior-year data, calculating tax, comparing assessment data, digital assessments, prefilled returns, plausibility checks, and support for visually impaired users. Users can upload receipts to Meine Belege; the MeinELSTER+ app can photograph paper receipts and transfer them to an account. The app suggests values and categories from those images for review, displays the ELSTER inbox, and supports receipt submissions or messages to the tax office. In simple cases, it can prepare a suggested 2025 income tax return using existing data and allowances. The service lists individuals, employers, businesses, associations, and tax advisers among its user groups; organizations can use ELSTER certificates to sign in and submit authenticated applications. Tax data is transmitted in encrypted form to state data centers, and the service runs on administration infrastructure certified to ISO 27001 based on BSI IT-Grundschutz. Login methods include a certificate file, security stick, signature card, or ElsterSecure app, with available functions depending on method and security level. MeinELSTER+ is free for Android and Apple devices, with Android 14 and iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 specified.