What eClear does

eClear AG is a German tax-technology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Berlin, with additional operations in Leipzig/Halle and Constance. It sells cloud-based SaaS solutions for cross-border VAT and customs compliance to European marketplaces, digital platforms, and e-commerce merchants, covering all 27 EU member states plus Switzerland, Norway, the UK, and Northern Ireland. The platform addresses the structural complexity of intra-EU VAT determination, deemed-supplier (marketplace) liability, B2C customs clearance for low-value imports, and end-to-end VAT filing with direct electronic interfaces to local tax authorities.

The product suite is a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core products include ClearVAT, which provides automated intra-EU VAT clearing through a deemed-supplier checkout integration enabling 0% VAT cross-border sales; ClearCustoms, a merchant-of-record gateway for B2C imports under EUR 150; VATRules, a certified real-time VAT rate and classification database developed with a €4M BMBF government grant; FileVAT, which automates advance VAT returns, annual returns, and EC Sales Lists; and SPOT, an omnichannel compliance dashboard with real-time alerting and a white-label option for marketplace operators. Add-on modules include CheckVAT ID for VAT number validation, CustomsAI for AI-assisted customs tariff classification, and VAT Optimiser for product-class-specific VAT optimization. The platform is SAP Certified and core-integrated into Plentymarkets ERP, exposing the solution to more than 8,000 retailers on that system.

eClear monetizes primarily through recurring SaaS subscriptions for enterprise marketplace and platform clients, complemented by embedded/white-label tax clearing fees, while ClearVAT is offered free to merchants on a given marketplace to drive platform adoption. The go-to-market combines product-led growth (self-serve VAT ID and VAT rate tools used as top-of-funnel lead capture), direct enterprise sales to marketplaces and large platforms, and channel partnerships with e-commerce platform providers. The company has secured certifications including IDW PS880 (German audit standard), SAP Partner/Certified, Clearstream, and DNK sustainability signatory, and has raised approximately $46M cumulatively across multiple equity and grant rounds between 2017 and 2023.

Name

eClear

Legal name

eClear AG

Website

https://eclear.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

eClear AG is a Berlin-based tax-technology SaaS company providing automated VAT determination, clearing, customs clearance, and filing solutions for European marketplaces, digital platforms, and cross-border e-commerce merchants across the EU-27, Switzerland, Norway, and the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax Compliance Software (VAT & Customs)

NAICS

Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Certified Compliance & Reporting Services (R2/e-Stewards, Audit, ESG) (BPALAIAL)

Keywords

• VAT compliance software
• Customs tax technology
• Cross-border e-commerce
• Marketplace tax clearing
• Automated VAT filing

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription Services: eClear operates primarily as a SaaS company providing subscription-based tax technology solutions. Services include VAT determination, clearing, filing, and customs solutions for marketplaces, platforms, and merchants operating cross-border within Europe.
2. Embedded Tax Clearing Solutions: Revenue generated from embedding tax clearing solutions into marketplace and platform products, providing full-service tax clearing as a value-added feature for platform operators and their sellers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

eClear provides a cloud-based SaaS tax technology platform that delivers certified real-time VAT determination, automated VAT clearing as deemed supplier, AI-driven customs tariff classification, end-to-end VAT filing, and compliance monitoring for marketplaces, digital platforms, and e-commerce merchants operating cross-border within and into Europe. Its flagship products ClearVAT and ClearCustoms enable 0% VAT tax-free intra-EU sales and border-free B2C imports into the EU, while VATRules, FileVAT, SPOT, CustomsAI, and CheckVAT ID address upstream tax rule lookup, filing, monitoring, classification, and verification needs.

Product overview

eClear provides a platform-plus-modules architecture for VAT and customs compliance solutions targeting marketplaces, digital platforms, and e-commerce merchants operating in Europe. The core product suite includes: ClearVAT for automated intra-EU VAT clearing; ClearCustoms for B2C import customs clearance; FileVAT for automated VAT filing and reporting; VATRules for real-time tax determination and rate calculation; and SPOT for compliance monitoring and transaction control. Add-on modules include CheckVAT ID for VAT number validation, CustomsAI for tariff classification, and VAT Optimiser for optimization analysis. The platform covers all 27 EU member states plus Switzerland, Norway, UK, and Northern Ireland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ClearVAT: Fully automated VAT clearing within the EU-27, enabling 0% VAT tax-free sales into all EU member states through checkout integration.
• ClearCustoms
• VATRules
• FileVAT
• SPOT
• CustomsAI
• CheckVAT ID

Products and services

• ClearVAT Fully automated VAT clearing solution for marketplaces and digital platforms operating as deemed supplier. Provides 0% VAT tax-free sales into all 27 EU member states through checkout integration, delivering a border-free sales experience for marketplace merchants on Intra-EU orders with full landed-cost calculation. Frees merchants from VAT registration and VAT liability.
• ClearCustoms Border-free commerce gateway that simplifies B2C imports of low-value goods (up to EUR 150) into the European Union. Acts as merchant of record to provide fast-lane customs clearance with full landed-cost calculation integrated. Designed for marketplaces, platforms, and merchants scaling into European consumer markets.
• VATRules Europe's largest certified VAT database providing real-time tax determination and calculation for all 27 European Member States plus Northern Ireland. Precisely classifies entire product portfolios according to each country of delivery's specific logic. Backed by a €4M BMBF R&D grant.
• FileVAT End-to-end automated VAT filing and reporting solution covering advance VAT returns, annual returns, and EC Sales List for all 27 EU Member States, Switzerland, Norway, and Britain. Provides electronic interfaces to the respective local tax authorities.
• SPOT Omnichannel merchant transaction dashboard providing real-time alerts and financial control over e-commerce sales, with focus on cross-border tax, customs, and compliance issues. Supports orders, transactions, and payments in one dashboard, with omnichannel monitoring of all marketplaces and an AVATAR real-time compliance alert engine. Available as white-label for marketplaces.
• CheckVAT ID Audit-proof VAT ID verification tool that validates VAT identification numbers for B2B trade compliance within the European Union. Available as a standalone web tool and product module.
• CustomsAI AI-powered customs tariff classification tool that determines appropriate tariff codes for imported goods, automating product classification for customs declarations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tax-free sales into all EU-27 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PlentymarketscoreTechnology or IntegrationPlentymarkets is an e-commerce ERP system combining merchandise management with shop system and omnichannel sales. ClearVAT is core-integrated into the platform and available to more than 8,000 retailers using the system. This integration provides compliant taxation solutions for cross-border e-commerce.
• SAPcoreTechnology or IntegrationSAP certified integration with SAP business solutions. eClear's FileVAT SaaS product is hosted via Business Objects Software Limited t/A SAP Solutions in Ireland. SAP Partner status confirmed with certified integration logo displayed.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Avalara: Avalara is a leading cloud-based tax compliance platform covering VAT, sales tax, and customs across global jurisdictions. It directly competes with eClear in EU VAT determination and filing, and serves similar marketplace, platform, and enterprise e-commerce customers.
• Sovos: Sovos provides indirect tax compliance, including VAT determination, filing, and e-invoicing, with strong coverage in Europe and Latin America. It targets the same enterprise and platform customer base as eClear and overlaps on VAT filing and real-time reporting.
• Vertex, Inc. Vertex offers enterprise tax technology including VAT determination, filing, and compliance, and acquired Taxamo (a former direct EU VAT competitor). It serves the same SAP/enterprise customer base and competes on indirect tax content and integrations.
• Fonoa: Fonoa is a digital tax compliance API platform focused on VAT determination, invoicing, and marketplace liability for cross-border e-commerce. It competes head-to-head with eClear in EU VAT clearing for marketplaces and platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Taxjar (now part of Stripe Tax): Stripe Tax bundles sales tax and VAT calculation into Stripe's payments platform, serving a broader set of merchants and digital businesses. It competes with eClear on the VAT determination layer for any merchant using Stripe as a payment processor.
• Wolters Kluwer: Wolters Kluwer provides professional tax and accounting software (e.g., CCH, Twinfield) with broad indirect tax coverage including VAT. As a much larger incumbent, it overlaps with eClear in VAT compliance content and filings for multi-jurisdictional enterprises.
• Thomson Reuters (ONESOURCE): Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE is an indirect tax determination and compliance suite used by multinational enterprises and tax advisors. It competes with eClear's VATRules and FileVAT in the enterprise and tax advisory segments.

Regional players

• Marosa: Marosa is a European VAT compliance specialist providing VAT reporting, filing, and EC Sales List services, primarily serving EU-headquartered businesses. It is a regional direct competitor to eClear's FileVAT offering.
• Taxually: Taxually provides VAT registration, filing, and compliance services for e-commerce sellers across Europe. It is a regional direct competitor focused on EU VAT filings, similar to eClear's FileVAT product line.

Emerging players

• TaxCore: TaxCore is a European tax compliance platform offering VAT and customs solutions to e-commerce merchants and platforms. As an emerging player, it competes with eClear in the same SME and platform segments with narrower geographic and product coverage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/eClearAG
• Facebookfacebook.com/eClearAG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eclear-ag

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about eClear