A Practical Toolkit for Freelancers in Germany: 3 Services to Optimize Time and Expenses
- Victor Anferov
- Oct 16
- 4 min read
Introduction: Managing the Administrative Side of Freelancing in Germany
Freelancing in Germany comes with significant administrative challenges, particularly concerning the complex tax system, banking, and expense management. The traditional route of hiring a Steuerberater (tax advisor) can be costly, and the time spent on paperwork reduces billable hours.
This article provides a practical overview of three digital services designed to streamline these processes: Sorted for tax management, Vivid Money for banking, and Bolt Business for travel expenses. These tools can help freelancers optimize their operations, save money, and focus on their core work
Part 1: Sorted — A Digital Approach to German Taxes
Germany's tax system presents two main hurdles for international freelancers: complexity and the language barrier. The primary tax registration form, the Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung, must be submitted in German, often requiring professional help from the start.
Sorted is a digital platform that addresses these issues directly.
Cost-Effective Plans: Sorted offers a free "Starter" plan for freelancer registration and invoicing. Paid plans for tax declarations are significantly more affordable than traditional tax advisor fees, with the "Kleinunternehmer" plan at €98/year and the "Pro" plan for VAT-charging freelancers at €240/year.
English-Language Interface: The entire process, from filling out the initial registration form to submitting annual tax returns, is guided in English. This removes a major barrier for non-German speakers.
Direct Digital Submission: The platform prepares all necessary tax reports based on your recorded income and expenses. These can be submitted directly to the tax office (Finanzamt) through its integrated ELSTER connection, with no separate account needed.
On-Demand Expert Help: If you encounter a complex situation, Sorted provides access to a network of certified tax consultants for fixed-fee services like answering specific questions or reviewing your reports before submission.
"For me, Sorted was the key to unlocking the German market. It solves the two biggest problems for expat freelancers—language and cost—in one elegant platform. It's the most effective first step you can take to get your business set up correctly and affordably"
This is my personal referral link — it gives you a 25% discount on annual service.
Part 2: Vivid Money — A Business Account with Digital Features
A dedicated business bank account is essential for any freelancer in Germany to separate personal and business finances and comply with banking terms. Among the various FinTech options, Vivid Money provides features tailored for digital and international work.
Instant Registration and Activation: Vivid offers a fully digital setup process for freelancers. You can complete the official tax registration form online in about 10 minutes with guided assistance in English or German. Immediately after, you can open your Vivid Business account in another 10 minutes and receive your German IBAN instantly. This allows you to start invoicing and receiving payments right away, without waiting the 4–8 weeks for the tax office to send your tax number (Steuernummer) by post.
Financial Optimization Tools: Vivid offers cashback on business card purchases (up to 10% in certain categories, 1% on all purchases) and pays interest on account balances, allowing your business funds to generate passive income.
Global Business Functionality: The account uses "Pockets," which are sub-accounts with unique IBANs that support 22 currencies. This is ideal for receiving payments from international clients without incurring high conversion fees.
Card Payments for Clients: Vivid Business allows you to generate payment links, enabling clients to pay invoices instantly with a credit or debit card, which can significantly improve cash flow compared to waiting for bank transfers.
Unlimited virtual cards: With Vivid Business, you can open virtual cards, which is very useful for managing subscriptions to various services for business and freelancing, such as Zapier, a service for creating automations and AI agents, or Descript, a video generation service.
"Vivid is for the freelancer who wants their bank account to do more than just hold money. Use its multi-currency pockets and payment links to operate globally, but I'd recommend keeping a basic backup account elsewhere (I'm using N26) for peace of mind. It's about using the best features while managing risk."
If you open an account via this invitation link—a freelancer account or a company account—you can receive bonuses for using the bank's services.
Part 3: Bolt Business — Streamlining Your Travel and Expenses
Managing receipts and logging expenses for business travel is a time-consuming administrative task. Bolt Business is a centralized platform designed to automate this process.
Automated Expense Management: When you take a work-related ride, it's automatically logged in a central dashboard. Bolt generates monthly ride reports and invoices, eliminating the need for manual expense claims. The system can also be integrated with third-party accounting software.
Budget Control: The platform allows you to set spending limits to maintain control over your travel budget. Bolt's pricing is often more competitive than traditional taxis, offering direct cost savings.
Sustainable Travel: All Bolt Business rides are carbon-compensated through emission offsetting projects, allowing for more environmentally conscious business travel at no extra cost.
25% discount on your first 20 trips: Valid for new accounts with the promo code BB250FF20 until December 31. You can save up to €300 in total. Enter the promo code when registering a new business account.
Conclusion: Building an Efficient Freelance Business
Success as a freelancer in Germany depends on both professional skill and efficient systems. The services discussed here—Sorted, Vivid Money, and Bolt Business—can function as an integrated toolkit to manage administration effectively.
By leveraging technology to handle taxes, banking, and expenses, you can minimize administrative overhead and dedicate more time to growing your business.
