Why I Use Lexware Office
As a freelancer I need an accounting solution I can operate without a degree in tax law. I tried spreadsheets, I tried other tools — Lexware Office is the one that stayed.
The reason: it covers exactly what a freelancer or small business needs. Nothing more, nothing less.
What I Do With It Every Day
Writing Invoices
Create invoice, select client, add line items, send. Takes 3 minutes. The invoice looks professional, contains all mandatory fields (tax number, sequential invoice number, VAT breakdown) and goes out directly as a PDF.
Recurring invoices can be saved as templates — a real time saver for monthly retainers.
Capturing Receipts
Every receipt, every incoming invoice — photograph directly with the app and assign to the right account. At year end, everything is neatly categorised. No more shoebox.
Preparing the P&L Statement
For freelancers without full bookkeeping obligations, the income-surplus statement (EÜR in Germany) is sufficient. Lexware Office creates the EÜR automatically from the captured receipts. My tax advisor gets the export and is happy.
VAT Returns
The monthly or quarterly VAT advance return can be submitted directly from Lexware Office to the tax office (ELSTER interface). I used to do this manually in the ELSTER portal — that's now eliminated.
What Works Well
Simplicity — The interface isn't overwhelming. You find your way around in 20 minutes without a tutorial.
DATEV export — If your tax advisor uses DATEV (most do), there's a direct export. No manual gathering of documents.
Mobile app — Photograph and capture receipts on the go. Works reliably.
GoBD-compliant — Important for Germany: the software meets the principles of proper bookkeeping.
What's Annoying
Price — Lexware Office costs between ~€8 and ~€30/month depending on the plan. For a freelancer with manageable receipt volume, it's not cheap. There are cheaper alternatives.
No project management — Accounting only, no time tracking, no CRM. Anyone wanting everything in one place needs to combine tools.
Bookkeeping learning curve — Those who've never done accounting need to learn a few basics. Cash vs. accrual accounting, for example. That's not Lexware's fault — it's the subject matter.
Who It's Right For
- Freelancers and sole traders
- Small GmbHs and UGs with manageable receipt volume
- Anyone needing a DATEV-compatible solution
- Anyone wanting to save time instead of maintaining spreadsheets
My Setup
I capture all incoming invoices directly via the app. I write outgoing invoices on the computer. Each quarter I check the P&L overview. At year end I export everything for my tax advisor. In total that's maybe 2 hours per quarter — the rest runs in the background.