View your estimated VAT for the current reporting period

If you submit a VAT return on a monthly or quarterly basis, you can now see an estimate of your VAT position for the current reporting period in the smarta Web App before your official VAT return is filed. This gives you an early indication of whether you are likely to have VAT payable (you need to pay) or a VAT refund (you will receive money back), helping you plan your cash flow without surprises.

Requirements

You submit your VAT return monthly or quarterly. (The preview is not available for small businesses using the small business scheme or for annual VAT filings.)
You have uploaded your receipts and invoices. Your smarta tax team categorizes and verifies your transactions, and the estimate is based on these verified entries.

How it works:

Open the smarta Web App and navigate to Tax Advisory → VAT Returns.
At the top of the page, you'll see the Current Reporting Period card showing the relevant period (for example, Q1 2026 · Jan–Mar).
Under Estimated Calculation, you'll find your estimated VAT position:
- 🔴 Red = VAT payable – this is the amount you are expected to pay.
- 🟢 Green = VAT refund – this is the amount you are expected to receive.
- ⚪ Grey = Nil return – no VAT is expected to be due.

As long as the current reporting period is still ongoing, you'll see the message "Reporting period still in progress." Your estimated amount will appear automatically once the reporting period has ended.

Good to know

The estimate is based on the receipts and invoices you have uploaded, as well as the transactions that have already been categorized and verified by your smarta tax team. If you upload additional documents, it may take some time for the estimate to update. The preview is refreshed only after our tax team has categorized and verified the corresponding transactions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this already the final amount?

No. This is an estimate based on your uploaded documents and the transactions that have been categorized and verified by your smarta tax team. The final amount on your VAT return may differ.

How can I keep the estimate up to date?

Upload your receipts and invoices regularly. Your smarta tax team takes care of categorizing and verifying your transactions, so changes will only appear in the estimate once the new transactions have been processed.

I only see "Reporting period still in progress."

This is expected while the current reporting period is still open. Once the period has ended, the estimated amount will appear automatically.

I don't see the preview card.

The estimate is only available if you submit VAT returns monthly or quarterly. It is not available for businesses using the small business scheme or for annual VAT filings.

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.