Taxdoo DATEV Export Case Study: A Successful Alternative for VAT & DATEV Brenda Varela | usagoldmines.com

This Taxdoo DATEV export case study shows how a German Amazon FBA seller moved away from Taxdoo, kept VAT compliant in Poland and Czech Republic, and continued to send clean DATEV VAT exports to their accountant without rebuilding the entire accounting setup.

For confidentiality, we will call the client “Spiel & Home GmbH”, but the situation is typical for many online sellers currently leaving Taxdoo.

1. Taxdoo DATEV export case study: client profile and previous setup

In this Taxdoo DATEV export case study, our client is a German GmbH selling:

• Espresso and coffee equipment

• Games and hobby products

• Household and lifestyle items

Business setup:

• Company registered in Germany

• Sales exclusively via Amazon FBA, using VAT Calculation Service (VCS)

• Goods stored in multiple EU Amazon warehouses, including Poland and Czech Republic

Before the change, Spiel & Home GmbH relied on Taxdoo for:

• VAT compliance in Poland and Czech Republic

• Automated data import from Amazon

• Monthly DATEV VAT export sent to their German Steuerberater

Internally, they work with a lean team and outsource accounting. Their Steuerberater uses DATEV for:

• German bookkeeping

• Financial statements

• Corporate tax returns

As long as Taxdoo produced correct VAT returns and a reliable DATEV VAT export, the setup worked. That is what made the upcoming change so stressful.

2. The problem: Taxdoo’s VAT exit and DATEV risks

When Taxdoo decided to stop offering VAT and compliance services and focus on broader e-commerce accounting, Spiel & Home GmbH suddenly faced three key risks that shaped this Taxdoo DATEV export case study.

2.1. VAT compliance risk in Poland and Czech Republic

The client is VAT-registered in PL and CZ because Amazon stores their stock there. Taxdoo had been filing:

• Local VAT returns

• Related intra-EU reports where needed

If they didn’t replace Taxdoo in time, they risked:

• Late or missing VAT returns in Poland and Czech Republic

• Penalties and interest from local tax offices

• Potential issues with Amazon if VAT obligations were no longer covered

2.2. Disruption of the DATEV workflow

The accountant depended on a DATEV VAT export from Taxdoo to book cross-border sales correctly in DATEV.

Without a proper Taxdoo alternative for DATEV VAT export, the accountant would have to:

• Rebuild booking logic manually in DATEV

• Map Amazon exports and VAT rates by hand

• Spend much more time, with higher error risk

For the client, this was almost more worrying than the VAT filings themselves.

2.3. Timing and a clean cut from Taxdoo

Because they were mid-year, the client also needed:

• A clean cut: one provider for early months (Taxdoo), one provider for future months (hellotax)

• No double billing for the same periods

• Clear documentation of who is responsible for which filing period in each country

They also compared offers from other providers and needed a cost structure that could compete with their old setup.

3. Why the client needed a Taxdoo alternative for DATEV exports

This Taxdoo DATEV export case study is not just about finding “any” new tool. The client’s wish list was very specific:

1. VAT takeover in PL and CZ

   • Continue filings where Taxdoo stopped

   • Avoid gaps in VAT compliance

2. Proforma invoice handling

   • Because they work only with Amazon FBA and VCS

   • Country-specific rules had to be respected

3. Stable DATEV VAT export

   • So the Steuerberater could continue working in DATEV with minimal changes

   • A replacement that would act as a Taxdoo alternative for DATEV exports, not for full accounting

In short: they didn’t want to rebuild their finance stack. They wanted a VAT-focused layer that would plug into DATEV and keep cross-border VAT running smoothly.

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4. hellotax solution: Taxdoo DATEV export case study in practice

hellotax stepped in as a specialised VAT provider and designed a migration plan around VAT and DATEV, not around full bookkeeping.

4.1. VAT footprint check and migration plan

First step in this Taxdoo DATEV export case study was a structured onboarding call:

• Confirm existing VAT registrations in Poland and Czech Republic

• Review Amazon storage locations and flows

• Check whether OSS is used for some sales

• Identify which filing periods had already been covered by Taxdoo

From this, hellotax created a practical plan:

• Taxdoo would remain responsible up to a defined cut-off month

• hellotax would take over from the following period

• Each period and country would have one clear responsible provider

This removed the fear of overlap or gaps.

4.2. VAT takeover in Poland and Czech Republic

Next, hellotax arranged the VAT takeover:

• Set up or updated access to the PL and CZ tax portals

• Confirmed filing frequencies and deadlines

• Requested relevant historical data and previous VAT returns

The goal: ensure that, from the first month under hellotax, all VAT returns in Poland and Czech Republic were complete and in line with previous filings.

Because this is a real-world Taxdoo DATEV export case study, planning the timing was crucial. The takeover was scheduled so that:

• Taxdoo filed the last agreed returns

• hellotax immediately continued with the next period

• There were no “orphan months” with no provider in charge

4.3. Proforma invoice service for Amazon FBA

As part of the service, hellotax also:

• Set up proforma invoices aligned with Amazon FBA flows

• Ensured that invoice data for PL and CZ is consistent with the local VAT rules

• Linked invoice logic with the VAT reporting data

This reduced the risk of mismatches between invoices, Amazon reports and VAT returns if an audit occurs.

4.4. DATEV VAT export setup

The heart of this Taxdoo DATEV export case study is the DATEV side.

hellotax focused on the sales-side VAT data that the accountant needs for DATEV.

1. Data import from Amazon

   • hellotax connected to the client’s Amazon account

   • Imported all relevant sales and FBA/VCS transactions

2. VAT classification

   • Classified each transaction by:

     • Country of supply

     • VAT rate

     • Type of transaction (domestic, intra-EU, B2C etc.)

3. DATEV VAT export mapping

   • Mapped the classified data to DATEV-compatible accounts and tax codes (SKR03/SKR04)

   • Generated a DATEV VAT export that could be imported into the accountant’s DATEV system

4. Test run with the Steuerberater

   • The accountant imported a test DATEV VAT export

   • Confirmed that the structure, VAT codes and booking logic were correct

   • Gave the green light to move fully away from Taxdoo

Throughout the process, hellotax was very clear about the scope:

• The DATEV VAT export does include: sales, VAT amounts and correct booking keys on the revenue side

• It does not include: full expense accounting, salaries or bank reconciliation

• It does not replace: the client’s German accounting tool or the Steuerberater’s work

This modular approach is what makes hellotax a practical Taxdoo alternative for DATEV exports, instead of trying to be a second accounting system.

4.5. Commercial model: avoiding double costs

Price was an important part of this Taxdoo DATEV export case study.

hellotax offered:

• An annual plan for PL and CZ with a clear monthly equivalent

• Proforma invoice service as an optional add-on

• A free extra month on the first year, so the client had time to migrate without paying two providers for the same period

This gave the client room to:

• Run onboarding

• Test DATEV VAT export in parallel

• Stop Taxdoo at the right time

without being charged twice for the same work.

5. Implementation timeline and migration steps

Here is how the implementation looked in this Taxdoo DATEV export case study.

Week 1–2: Onboarding and planning

• Collection of company and VAT data

• Amazon access granted to hellotax

• Review of old Taxdoo exports and DATEV requirements

• Written agreement on which periods Taxdoo vs hellotax would cover

Week 2–4: VAT takeover and DATEV configuration

• Access to PL and CZ tax portals completed

• First periods under hellotax prepared and filed

• Proforma invoice templates set up

• Test DATEV VAT export generated and imported by the accountant

From Month 2 onward: Stable operations

• hellotax files all ongoing VAT returns in Poland and Czech Republic

• Proforma invoices generated automatically

• The accountant receives a regular DATEV VAT export and books as usual in DATEV

For readers who are not familiar with the accounting side of things, it can be helpful to look at the original sources behind these terms. DATEV eG explains its role and software for international companies on its official site, while the European Commission outlines the basic principles and cross-border rules of value added tax on its EU VAT overview page. Taking a quick look at both will make it easier to understand how a tool like hellotax connects EU VAT rules with DATEV-ready export files for your accountant.

6. Results of this Taxdoo DATEV export case study

After the migration, this Taxdoo DATEV export case study delivered four main outcomes.

6.1. Continuous VAT compliance in PL & CZ

• No gaps in VAT filings during the switch from Taxdoo to hellotax

• Clear documentation of responsibility per period and country

• Support with local tax letters via the hellotax Tax Letter Inbox

6.2. Stable DATEV workflows

• The Steuerberater continued to receive DATEV VAT exports in a familiar format

• Minimal changes in booking routines inside DATEV

• No need to rebuild mapping rules based on raw Amazon CSV files

6.3. Less manual work, fewer spreadsheets

• Less time spent searching and reformatting Amazon data

• Fewer manual Excel calculations for cross-border VAT

• A single VAT layer feeding both local VAT returns and the DATEV VAT export

6.4. Flexibility for future growth

• The client can add more EU countries if Amazon expands storage locations

• They can change general accounting software later without touching:

  • VAT registrations

  • VAT filings

  • The VAT-focused DATEV export

hellotax is now the dedicated VAT engine, while DATEV remains the central accounting and reporting environment.

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7. Lessons for other Taxdoo users from this Taxdoo DATEV export case study

Other online sellers can pull several practical lessons from this Taxdoo DATEV export case study:

1. Separate VAT from accounting
   Use a specialised VAT tool as the Taxdoo alternative for registrations, filings and DATEV VAT exports, and keep your accounting system as the main financial hub.

2. Protect your DATEV VAT export early
   Involve your Steuerberater and test an example export before you fully switch providers.

3. Plan a clear cut-over from Taxdoo
   Write down which provider is responsible for which months in each country, so there are no overlaps or gaps.

4. Map your VAT footprint
   List all countries where you are registered, where you store goods and where you use OSS. This makes it easier for a provider like hellotax to design the right setup.

5. Use internal knowledge resources

For a more general overview of what to look for when choosing tools, you read our article on Taxdoo alternative for DATEV VAT exports and our VAT reporting with DATEV guide.

8. Plan your transition from Taxdoo to hellotax

This Taxdoo DATEV export case study shows that you don’t need to start from zero when Taxdoo changes its strategy.

A safer approach is to:

• Choose a Taxdoo alternative for DATEV exports that focuses on VAT, not on replacing your entire accounting

• Keep your German accounting system and Steuerberater

• Let a specialised VAT engine handle:

  • EU VAT registrations and returns

  • Proforma invoices

  • Sales-side DATEV VAT export

To mirror the journey in this Taxdoo DATEV export case study, you can book a free consultation with hellotax, where a VAT specialist:

• Reviews their current Taxdoo setup

• Maps their VAT footprint and DATEV needs

• Proposes a migration plan from Taxdoo to hellotax with clear timing and responsibilities

Book a free consultation

Our VAT experts are happy to help you. Book a free consultation today!

Free consultation