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If the tax assessment brings a refund, the tax software has done a great job
Photo: Christin Klose / dpa-tmn
If you have a good pilot with the tax return, you can save not only money but also time and nerves.
But which control software for PC or smartphone gives the best tips, calculates and transmits correctly?
In its 5/2022 issue, Stiftung Warentest examined a total of 25 apps and programs.
The bottom line: only every fifth tax program deserves the award »very good«.
Computer programs that can be downloaded to the computer performed best.
Four of the five test winners come from this category.
The best grades were given to the "Wiso Steuer-Sparbuch 2022" (grade 1.2), "Tax 2021" from Aldi (1.4), "Tax Saver 2022" from Lidl (1.4) and "Tax 2022" (1.4 ).
The other five tested PC programs are still thoroughly recommendable with the grade »Good«.
In the browser programs, there was a »very good« for »Wiso Steuer Web« (1.5).
Mobile apps are not keeping up
The testers still see room for improvement with some browser applications, and the mobile apps for Android and iOS perform worse overall than the download and browser applications.
A frequent sticking point: Errors in the tax calculation because certain information was not requested.
The test criteria of »Finanztest«: The testers awarded the most points for correctly calculating the tax to be paid and for helpful tips on correctly filling out the forms.
The programs were able to achieve a total of 45 percent of the possible points in this area.
35 percent of the points were awarded for user guidance, while the protection of personal data received 20 percent.
The bargain winners are only available for a short time
The fact that the test winners also include the offers from Aldi and Lidl shows that good tax software does not necessarily have to be expensive.
However, these programs were only available for a short time at bargain prices from the two discounters.
Conversely, a high price does not automatically mean that a program is particularly good: The losers in the test that were rated "sufficient" all cost around 30 to 40 euros, which means they are in the upper price range.
Incidentally, the free online portal of the tax offices, Elster, is not included in the test.
Unsurprisingly, there are no tax saving tips here.
This offer is »not for laypeople and newcomers«.
In many cases, however, you also need an Elster account for the tested control programs in order to be able to use the full range of functions.
Setting up such an account is free, but takes a few days because the tax office sends the activation data by post.
mak/dpa