What the fee increase for tax advisory firms means – and which alternative is worth your while
On 21 March 2025, the Bundesrat (Federal Council) approved the Fifth Ordinance amending the Steuerberatervergütungsverordnung (StBVV) (Tax Advisor Remuneration Ordinance). The result: the costs for tax advice are rising noticeably – and for almost all services.
For many employees, this raises a very practical question:
Is it worth switching to a Lohnsteuerhilfeverein (income tax assistance association)?
In many cases, the answer is: Yes – more than ever.
What exactly is changing?
The adjustment of tax advisor remuneration is a reaction to the increased personnel and material costs in tax firms. At the same time, for clients, it primarily means one thing: paying more – often without receiving more service.
Overview of the most important changes:
Value fees rise by 6%
Many typical services, such as the preparation of the income tax return, are billed via so-called value fees. These are now rising linearly by around 6 per cent.
Payroll and bookkeeping fees rise by 9%
The so-called "amount frame fees" – for example, for payroll accounting – will increase by 9 per cent. Especially for regularly occurring tasks, this can quickly add up.
Hourly rate increases from €105 to €115 per hour
The median fee rate for tasks billed by the hour is being raised. Additionally, billing will take place per quarter-hour started in the future – previously it was per half-hour.
Higher expenses and flat rates
Daily and absence allowances for business trips are also rising significantly. This particularly affects consultations held outside the tax office.
More flexibility – but also more uncertainty regarding remuneration agreements
Restrictions on flat-rate remuneration are being removed. This allows for more individual agreements – but can also lead to less transparency and higher costs.
What does this mean for private individuals?
Especially for employees, families, retirees, or students with simpler tax circumstances, classic tax advice is often oversized – and expensive.
With the current adjustments to the remuneration ordinance, this gap is widening.
Many people are rightly asking:
Am I really getting the right service for the money – or am I simply paying too much?
The Alternative: Membership in a Lohnsteuerhilfeverein
Lohnsteuerhilfevereine offer for specific target groups a cost-efficient, professionally competent, and legally secure consultation regarding income tax.
Instead of hourly billing or value fees, members pay an annual fee, which is socially balanced according to their income.
One example of this is Lexo.Tax e.V. – Lohnsteuerhilfeverein. Our members benefit from, among other things:
- Transparent membership fees with no hidden costs
- Advice provided by qualified specialists
- Digital or personal support – as you prefer
- No additional costs for follow-up questions or documents
- Focus on income tax for employees, retirees & families
For whom is the switch worth it?
A Lohnsteuerhilfeverein is the right choice if you:
- Are an employee or retiree
- Have income exclusively from non-self-employed work, pensions, maintenance, or rental income (within the framework of the statutory advisory permit)
- Want competent income tax advice – without excessive costs
- Want your tax return completed easily, stress-free, and without surprises
Now is the right time to rethink
With the increase in the StBVV, classic tax advice is becoming significantly more expensive for many people – even if the scope of advice remains unchanged.
Switching to a Lohnsteuerhilfeverein like Lexo.Tax e.V. can therefore be worthwhile in several ways – financially, professionally, and organisationally.
We are here for you – competent, digital, and with fair fees.
Learn more about our services
Become a member now – quite simply online
Note
This article is for general information purposes and was carefully created by the editorial team at Lexo.Tax. Personal tax advice can only take place within the framework of a membership with Lexo.Tax – and exclusively within the legally permissible scope according to § 4 Nr. 11 StBerG (Tax Consultancy Act).