Create & file the e-Bilanz without a tax advisor
Updated: June 2026 · ~4 min read · eBilanz Fabrik (a tool, not tax advice)
In short: you may create and file the e-Bilanz yourself — there is no obligation to use a tax advisor, as long as your annual accounts are final. The technical transmission is not tax advice. This guide covers what you need and why a finished XBRL file cannot simply be uploaded in the ELSTER web portal.
Is this even legal?
Yes. There is no obligation to use a tax advisor for transmitting the e-Bilanz. Sending your finished figures to the Finanzamt is a purely technical step and not tax advice — it does not fall under the German tax-advisory regulation. Once your annual accounts (balance sheet and P&L) are substantively final, you may prepare and file the e-Bilanz yourself.
Important: substantive questions about the figures — how something should be recognised or assessed for tax — remain tax advice. eBilanz Fabrik takes the technical step off your plate, not the professional judgement. (Legal facts without guarantee.)
What you need
- A finished set of annual accounts. The balance sheet and the profit-and-loss account must be substantively complete. The e-Bilanz only represents these figures — it does not replace preparing the accounts.
- An ELSTER certificate. For an authenticated transmission to the Finanzamt you need a valid ELSTER certificate. It links the filing to your company.
Why not just upload it in the ELSTER portal?
An obvious question — and the answer surprises many: an external XBRL file cannot be uploaded in the ELSTER web portal. The portal handles forms, but offers no upload for a finished e-Bilanz file. The e-Bilanz must be transmitted through the ERiC interface (the tax administration's official programming interface) — and that requires software that talks to ERiC.
This is exactly where eBilanz Fabrik comes in: as your ERiC transmission route, without you having to set up an interface yourself.
How eBilanz Fabrik helps
eBilanz Fabrik is the tool for the technical part — from finished accounts to Transferticket:
| Step | eBilanz Fabrik handles |
|---|---|
| 1. Read the figures | upload your finished balance sheet + P&L as a PDF, the figures are read |
| 2. XBRL mapping | mapping to the HGB XBRL taxonomy |
| 3. Check | a technical plausibility and format check |
| 4. ERiC transmission | ✓ after your approval, via ERiC to the Finanzamt |
| 5. Transferticket | ✓ as proof of filing |
The whole run usually takes under 10 minutes — from 24,95 € per filing. Nothing is transmitted until you approve it.
The limit: what stays with the tax advisor
eBilanz Fabrik is explicitly a tool, not tax advice and not a review of your figures. We read your figures and transmit them — we do not assess them. Anyone who needs to decide how to recognise an item, how to treat a matter for tax, or whether the figures are correct should turn to a tax advisor. Put differently: the software does not prepare the accounts — but it does handle the technical filing.
Upload your finished annual accounts as a PDF, review, approve — we transmit to the Finanzamt via ERiC and deliver the Transferticket.
Create your e-Bilanz →FAQ
Am I allowed to file the e-Bilanz myself?
Yes. There is no obligation to use a tax advisor — the technical transmission is not tax advice. Once your annual accounts are final, you may create and file the e-Bilanz yourself (without guarantee; the statutory rules govern).
Do I need an ELSTER certificate?
Yes. For an authenticated transmission to the Finanzamt you need an ELSTER certificate. eBilanz Fabrik uses it to transmit via ERiC after your approval, and delivers the Transferticket as proof.
Do you do the bookkeeping?
No. eBilanz Fabrik is a transmission tool, not bookkeeping and not tax advice. We do not prepare your accounts and do not review the figures — you upload your finished balance sheet and P&L, we transmit.
eBilanz Fabrik is a transmission tool and gives no tax advice and no review of the figures. Registered ELSTER software vendor. Prices and legal facts without guarantee; the statutory rules govern (incl. § 5b EStG, § 149 AO). Price: 24,95 € per filing (regularly 29,95 €), net plus 19 % VAT.