Would you like us to include the bank transactions of another business account in your bookkeeping – or replace your currently linked business account with a different one?
In this article, you’ll learn which information we need for this, how you can provide it to us, and what happens in the web app after the setup.
Why connecting your bank account is important
Linking your business account enables the secure and automated import of your transactions – from over 1,000 supported banks. This ensures your bookkeeping is always complete, up-to-date, and accurate.
Here you can check if your bank is available:
Which information we need in advance
To set up your bank connection, we need the following details from you:
Name of your bank
Please provide the full name of your bank.Please note: For savings banks (Sparkassen) or cooperative banks (Volksbanken), please also specify the location (e.g., Kreissparkasse Bersenbrück, Raiffeisenbank Regensburg-Wenzenbach).
Start date for transaction retrieval
From which date should transactions from the new business account be included in your smarta bookkeeping? Please provide a specific date. We will then check if the connection is possible starting from that date.Usage of your existing Kontist account
Would you like to keep your Kontist account connected?Or should it be replaced by the new account? If so: starting from when?
Notes on your existing Kontist account:
If the new account fully replaces the Kontist account, we will no longer retrieve any transactions from the Kontist account as of the specified date.
If you connect an additional business account with smarta, a new connection will be required to continue using your Kontist account. The current Kontist interface does not support combining multiple accounts. In this case, the free Kontist plan included in your smarta package will no longer apply – please contact Kontist directly for suitable account models and pricing.
Good to know:
Your smarta plan remains unchanged.
Multiple business accounts can be connected.
Private accounts should not be connected.
How to Send Us Your Information
You can provide the necessary information through one of the following channels:
via our form: Fill out the form
via email: kontakt-team@smarta-steuern.de
or directly via chat within the web app
Next steps
1. Verification of the bank connection
After your response, we will check whether your bank can generally be connected.
You can also check in advance if your bank is available here: Check bank availability
2. Preparing the connection
If your bank is available, we will set up the connection for the desired date.
3. Authorizing the bank connection
After the setup, you will receive an email with a personal authorization link. With this link, you can complete the authorization directly.
Alternatively, you can also start the authorization in the web app via:
the large modal after login,
a notification banner at the top of the app, or
Profile → Bank connections.
You can find a detailed step-by-step guide here:
Your bank connection in the smarta web app
Note: If you want to connect an additional account in addition to your existing one, you will receive one authorization email per account. Please authorize both accounts to ensure transaction retrieval works properly.
After authorization: synchronization and possible delays
After successful authorization, the web app will display the status “Connecting”.
Once the status changes to “Active”, transactions will be imported automatically.
The first import may take up to two business days.
Status in the web app
In Profile → Bank connections you can always see:
Active – Connection established, transactions are synchronized once daily.
Connecting – Setup in progress.
Failed – An error occurred during setup (click the Support button to contact us directly).
Activate connection – The connection was newly created or has expired after 90–180 days and needs to be re-authorized.
Technical notes on data transmission
Authorization is valid for 90–180 days, depending on your bank.
After expiration, the status of the bank connection will change to “Activate connection”.
You can reauthorize in the web app or via the new email link – the process is identical to the initial setup.
Your transactions are automatically synchronized once per day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Do you need support?
For our clients:
Feel free to reach out to us anytime at kontakt-team@smarta-steuern.de or book a consultation here – we're here for you!
Not a smarta client yet? No problem!
Book an appointment here for our comprehensive startup package or a consultation if you only have questions about specific topics.
Further questions?
Contact us via the app or by email at kontakt-team@smarta-steuern.de if you want to learn more about our consulting services or have other tax-related concerns.