Bis wann musst du die Steuererklärung abgeben?

Mit Steuerberater hast du deutlich länger Zeit als ohne. Welche Frist für dich läuft, klären wir im ersten Gespräch, und dann planen wir rückwärts.

Was kostet mich jeder Monat Rückstand?

Verspätungszuschlag auf die Erklärung plus Säumniszuschlag auf offene Steuern, beides läuft monatlich weiter. Je früher wir starten, desto weniger davon zahlst du.

Kann ich mit offenen Jahren zu euch wechseln?

Ja, bei Rückständen ist das der Normalfall. Wir übernehmen offene Jahre und laufende Buchhaltung zusammen und holen die Unterlagen beim alten Berater ab.

Wann schätzt das Finanzamt deine Zahlen?

Sobald es deine Zahlen nicht nachvollziehen kann, etwa weil Erklärungen fehlen oder Belege nicht vorliegen. Im Onlinehandel reicht dafür schon eine nicht abgestimmte Klarna- oder Amazon-Abrechnung.

Was brauche ich für den Start?

Den Zeitraum, offene Bescheide oder Schreiben vom Finanzamt und Zugänge zu Shopify, Amazon und Payment-Anbietern. Den Rest beschaffen wir.

Kann das Finanzamt dir eine kürzere Frist setzen?

Ja, nach wiederholter Verspätung kann es dir eine eigene, frühere Frist setzen. Genau deshalb lohnt es sich, Rückstände jetzt aufzuräumen statt später.

E-commerce accounting backlogs

Clearing e-commerce accounting backlogs, without flying blind

Open years, estimates from the tax office or ongoing administrative fines? We work through the past and get your current bookkeeping in order at the same time. Every month of backlog costs you surcharges, which is why the order matters.

Book an introductory call

Free & no obligation

15 minutes

No preparation required

200+ clients. 100% e-commerce focus on Amazon, Shopify, D2C and multichannel.

What happens when backlogs create pressure?

In e-commerce, backlogs rarely come from missing documents alone.
Often marketplace data, payment reconciliations, OSS records, intra-EU stock transfers between EU warehouses or a clear set of priorities toward the tax office are missing.

Open years and financial statements

Bookkeeping, annual financial statements or tax returns are not finished. You are missing reliable figures for decisions, banks and the tax office. Late payment surcharges accrue every month on every open tax, no matter how good the reasons are.

Estimates, deadlines, administrative fines

When deadlines are running, it first has to be clear what must be done immediately and what can be worked through properly afterwards. Otherwise the tax office estimates your figures, and rather too high than too low.

E-commerce data is missing

Amazon, Shopify, Klarna, Stripe, warehouse and document tools have to be brought together retroactively. If you have not booked for months, you close the gap with real data, not with approximations.

How does SPIELMANN clear backlogs?

We do not start with busywork but with a clear picture of open years, deadlines, data sources and current obligations. The order matters, because some deadlines only run once and others get more expensive every month.

1. Situation and priorities

First we clarify which years, filings and deadlines are open and where action is needed immediately. After that you know what has to go out this week and what can wait.

Connect Shopify, Amazon and payments
Get rid of manual lists
Take over communication with the tax office

2. Gather data and work through the backlog

We bring shop, marketplace, payment and document data together in a structured way so the catch-up work is not based on estimates. As long as verifiable records exist, the tax office has no reason to estimate on its own.

Secure Amazon, Shopify and payment data
Reconcile documents and interfaces
Factor in PAN-EU and OSS

3. Stabilize the ongoing setup

Alongside the catch-up work we connect Shopify, Amazon, Klarna and document tools directly to DATEV. That way no new backlog builds up, and your effort stays under 45 minutes of bookkeeping per month.

"Most sellers do not have bad bookkeeping, they have bookkeeping that records the Amazon payout as a single entry. Then no order is traceable any more, and that is exactly what the auditor asks about first." - Marius Gotzen, SPIELMANN Steuerberatung GmbH

Who does what by when, firmly agreed
Set up a fixed monthly routine
Upcoming deadlines under control

Status check in 15 minutes

We review your open issues, prioritize the next steps and build e-commerce bookkeeping that you can steer again. Free, 15 minutes, no preparation.

Book an introductory call

Free & no obligation

15 minutes

No preparation required

Smiling man with glasses and beard wearing a blue suit jacket and white shirt, sitting at a table with an open book and laptop.

What is the right way now?

With backlogs, the order decides. Deadlines, data gathering and current obligations have to be in view at the same time.

Keep waiting

That only pushes the pressure back. Deadlines, estimates and missing documents do not get better that way.

Tool or document collection only

Tools help with collecting, but they do not answer open tax questions from the tax office and they do not do e-commerce reconciliations.

SPIELMANN

SPIELMANN combines tax prioritization, e-commerce data and a new monthly routine so backlogs do not build up again.

Smiling man with glasses and beard wearing a light blue dress shirt looking to the right.

Backlog cleared, deadlines met again

You know which issues are open, what gets done first and how your bookkeeping stays stable from now on. No flying blind and no false comfort that late bookkeeping is harmless.

"A switch rarely fails because of tax, it fails on the data handover. We coordinate that, which is why it takes 4 weeks instead of 4 months." - Marius Gotzen, Partner

Here is how it works: the switch typically takes 4 weeks, your effort stays under 30 minutes. We take over the communication with your previous advisor.

Backlogs on the table? We will sort them out in 15 minutes in an introductory call.

Deadlines clarified

Data organized

Bookkeeping stable

Bookkeeping becomes control,
with figures that are traceable every month.

Common questions about accounting backlogs

For a first assessment we need the period, any open assessments or letters, and a look at your shop, marketplace and payment data.

Book an introductory call

By when do you have to file your tax return?

With a tax advisor you have significantly more time than without. Which deadline applies to you we clarify in the first call, and then we plan backwards.

What does every month of backlog cost me?

A late filing surcharge on the return plus a late payment surcharge on open taxes, both keep running every month. The earlier we start, the less of it you pay.

Can I switch to you with open years?

Yes, with backlogs that is the normal case. We take on open years and current bookkeeping together and collect the documents from your previous advisor.

When does the tax office estimate your figures?

As soon as it cannot follow your figures, for example because returns are missing or documents are not available. In online retail an unreconciled Klarna or Amazon statement is already enough.

What do I need to get started?

The period, open assessments or letters from the tax office and access to Shopify, Amazon and payment providers. We get the rest.

Can the tax office set you a shorter deadline?

Yes, after repeated delays it can set you its own, earlier deadline. That is exactly why it pays to clear backlogs now rather than later.

Technical Background: Backlogs and Deadlines

What applies when bookkeeping and filings are behind schedule.

Filing deadlines, Section 149 (2) and (3) AO

Without an advisor, the return is due seven months after year-end; with an advisor, on the last day of February of the second following year. For 2025, that is July 31, 2026 and March 1, 2027.

Late filing surcharge, Section 152 (2), (5) and (10) AO

For annual returns, 0.25 percent of the tax for each month or part thereof, at least 25 euros, at most 25,000 euros. It is mandatory if the return is not filed within 14 months of year-end.

Late payment surcharge, Section 240 (1) AO

Overdue assessed taxes incur a late payment surcharge of 1 percent for each month or part thereof, calculated on the amount rounded down to 50 euros. That is 12 percent per year.

Estimation, Section 162 AO

If the tax office cannot determine the tax base, it estimates. If the estimate results from a breach of filing obligations, it may be set at the upper end of the estimation range (BFH, X R 42/12).

Interest and coercive fines, Section 233a (2) AO, Section 238 (1a) AO, Section 329 AO

Interest on back taxes begins 15 months after the end of the year in which the tax arose and amounts to 0.15 percent per month. A single coercive fine may not exceed 25,000 euros.

Timely recording, Section 146 (1) AO and GoBD margin no. 47

Cash receipts and payments must be recorded daily. For non-cash transactions, the GoBD consider recording within ten days acceptable. The version of July 14, 2025 applies.

Clearing e-commerce accounting backlogs, without flying blind

200+ clients. 100% e-commerce focus on Amazon, Shopify, D2C and multichannel.