Buhl

What Buhl does

Buhl Data Service GmbH is a German private software company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Neunkirchen, Siegerland, that develops and distributes consumer and SMB financial software under the WISO brand. Its core products include WISO Steuer (German tax filing software serving 6 million+ users), finanzblick (multi-banking app), WISO MeinBüro (business accounting), WISO MeinVerein (association management), WISO Vermieter and Hausverwalter (property management), and various personal finance tools. The technical stack combines desktop applications (Windows), web platforms (steuer-web.de, meinbuero.de, meinverein.de), and mobile apps (iOS/Android), with cloud services hosted on proprietary data centers in Germany with AES 256-bit encryption.

The company operates a product-led growth model with annual subscription pricing ranging from €14.95 to €75.99 per year, complemented by 14-day free trials and freemium offerings (notably finanzblick at 100% free). Direct distribution is through the Buhl online shop, app stores, and the buhl:Konto single sign-on platform. AI capabilities have been layered onto the product suite via SteuerGPT (tax chatbot), AI-powered photo-scan OCR for tax forms, and auto-categorization of bank transactions, though implementation relies on partnerships with Taxy.io, Microsoft Azure OpenAI, and Google Cloud AI.

Revenue is generated across five primary segments: private individuals and families (tax filing, household budgeting), self-employed and small businesses (accounting, invoicing, E-Rechnung), German associations/clubs, private landlords and property managers, and tax advisors. The customer base exceeds 8.4 million across all products. The company holds a BaFin payment institution license (ID 153789) enabling its PSD2-compliant Buhl Banking API, operates the tax advisory subsidiary Buhl Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH, and emphasizes German data residency and DSGVO compliance as core value propositions.

Name

Buhl

Legal name

Buhl Data Service GmbH

Website

https://buhl.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Buhl Data Service GmbH is a German private software company (founded 1986) that develops and sells the WISO-branded suite of tax filing, personal finance, business accounting, and association management software to over 8.4 million German consumers, self-employed users, SMBs, and tax advisors, distributed primarily via annual subscriptions through its online shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tax Preparation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)

SIC

Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Billing, Payments & Subscription Management (MPAHAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Knowledge Management & Wikis (BPAMAMAH), Workforce Identity & Access Management (WIAM) (BPAMAEAB)

Keywords

• Tax preparation software
• Business accounting software
• Multi-banking applications
• Association management software
• Property management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses (Annual Subscriptions): Annual subscription model for desktop and online software products. Customers pay yearly license fees to access and use the software, with updates included. Major products include WISO Steuer, WISO MeinBüro, WISO MeinVerein, and financial management tools.
2. Online/Web Applications: Browser-based versions of tax and financial software sold as annual subscriptions, accessible via steuer-web.de and other web platforms.
3. Mobile Apps: iOS and Android applications for tax filing (WISO Steuer App), banking (finanzblick), and document management (dokublick).
4. Professional Services (ProfiCheck): Fee-based expert review service where tax professionals check declarations before submission, offered through Buhl Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Buhl Data Service GmbH develops and sells German-language financial, tax, and business software under the WISO brand. Its flagship offering, WISO Steuer, is the Nr. 1 tax filing software in Germany with over 6 million users, complemented by multi-banking apps (finanzblick), business accounting (WISO MeinBüro), association management (WISO MeinVerein), property management (WISO Vermieter/Hausverwalter), document management (dokublick), and internet security (WISO Internet Security). Products are delivered as desktop downloads, web applications, and mobile apps, with cloud services hosted on proprietary servers in Neunkirchen, Germany.

Product overview

Buhl Data Service GmbH offers a comprehensive suite of financial, tax, and business software products under the WISO brand for the German market. The portfolio spans four core areas: (1) Tax Software: WISO Steuer as the flagship product (Nr. 1 with 6+ million users), supported by tax, WISO Fahrtenbuch, and WISO Grundsteuer; (2) Finance & Banking: finanzblick (multi-banking app/web), WISO Mein Geld, WISO Konto Online, WISO Haushaltsbuch, and dokublick (document management); (3) Business & Accounting: WISO MeinBüro (accounting for businesses), WISO Steuer EÜR + Kasse, WISO Steuer Berater, Billbob (invoicing), WISO Vermieter 365, WISO Hausverwalter 365, and WISO MeinVerein (association management); (4) Security: WISO Internet Security (powered by F-Secure). Products are offered as desktop downloads (Windows), web applications, and mobile apps (iOS/Android). All cloud services run on company-owned servers in Germany with AES 256-bit encryption. The central buhl:Konto provides single sign-on across the product ecosystem. The company serves over 8.4 million customers and holds licenses for payment services (PSD2/ZAG) and operates its own data center in Neunkirchen, Siegerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WISO Steuer: Tax filing software - the company's flagship product and Nr. 1 tax software in Germany
• WISO MeinBüro
• WISO MeinVerein
• finanzblick
• WISO Mein Geld
• WISO Konto Online
• WISO Haushaltsbuch
• dokublick
• WISO Internet Security
• WISO Vermieter
• WISO Hausverwalter
• tax
• WISO Fahrtenbuch
• WISO Grundsteuer
• Billbob

Products and services

• WISO Steuer Market-leading German tax filing software (Nr. 1 with 6+ million users) available as desktop, browser, and mobile app. Features AI-powered tax assistant (SteuerGPT), photo scan auto-fill, tax optimization scanning, and direct ELSTER integration for tax submission to authorities.
• tax Basic tax software for individuals, with tax Professional for self-employed and tax Berater for tax advisors. Provides essential tax filing functionality as a simplified alternative to WISO Steuer.
• finanzblick Multi-banking app and web service aggregating bank accounts, credit cards, and financial data with PSD2-compliant connectivity, receipt scanning, AI-powered expense categorization, budget analysis, and document management. Basic multi-banking features are 100% free.
• WISO Mein Geld Desktop-based personal finance management software for Windows that bundles bank accounts and cards into a unified financial overview with detailed analysis and local data storage on the user's computer.
• WISO Konto Online Desktop online banking software for Windows enabling account management, transfers, standing orders, and scheduled payments.
• WISO Haushaltsbuch Desktop household budgeting software for Windows that tracks income and expenses with digital precision for personal financial management.
• dokublick Digital document management app that automatically digitizes, categorizes, and organizes documents using AI-powered document recognition. Available as web and mobile app with documents stored securely on German servers.
• WISO MeinBüro Business accounting and office software for self-employed and small businesses featuring invoicing, accounting, document management, and DATEV export. Offered as cloud (MeinBüro Web) and desktop versions.
• Billbob Invoice app for creating and sending professional invoices, quotes, delivery notes, and credit memos. Part of the MeinBüro ecosystem for self-employed users.
• WISO Steuer EÜR + Kasse Tax preparation module for self-employed generating income-expenditure statements (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung) and cash books (Kassenbuch) for German tax returns.
• WISO Steuer Berater Tax software version specifically designed for professional tax advisors (Steuerberater) to prepare and process client tax returns.
• WISO Vermieter 365 Web-based property management software for private landlords to create legally compliant operating cost allocations (Nebenkostenabrechnung) and manage rental properties.
• WISO Hausverwalter 365 Desktop property management software for managing real estate portfolios including WEG allocations, tenant management, and online banking integration for accounting.
• WISO MeinVerein Association management software (Nr. 1 for German clubs/associations) handling member administration, finances, DATEV export, document management, and e-invoicing as a web application.
• WISO Internet Security Internet security suite providing real-time protection for all devices, powered by F-Secure. Available for Windows, macOS, and Android.
• WISO Fahrtenbuch Mileage tracking log (Fahrtenbuch) for recording business vehicle trips. Helps self-employed and business users maintain compliant mileage records for tax deductions.
• WISO Grundsteuer Property tax declaration tool (Grundsteuererklärung) for submitting property valuations to the German tax authority via ELSTER, required for the 2022 German property tax reform.
• ProfiCheck (Buhl Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH) Fee-based expert review service where professional tax advisors review a customer's tax declaration before submission to the German Finanzamt, offered through subsidiary Buhl Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average tax refund of €1,674 using WISO Steuer potential scanner
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration42 records

AI capability11 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Taxy.io GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationAI partner for SteuerGPT chatbot and WISO Grundsteuer. Taxy.io processes user queries using AI under a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) per Art. 28 DSGVO. Data is processed on Microsoft Azure infrastructure in German data centers.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud infrastructure provider for AI processing functions (SteuerGPT, WISO Grundsteuer). Microsoft Azure provides the computational infrastructure for AI services. Data remains in German/Azure European data centers.
• Google Ireland LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationAI provider for document recognition and categorization in finanzblick and dokublick. Google AI processes uploaded documents for data extraction. DPA with Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) in place.
• F-SecurecoreTechnology or IntegrationCybersecurity technology provider for WISO Internet Security. F-Secure provides the underlying antivirus and security engine for the product.
• DATEV eGcoreTechnology or IntegrationAccounting data exchange partner. WISO MeinVerein exports accounting data in DATEV-compatible format for tax advisors and accountants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smartsteuer: Online tax declaration service for German consumers; direct competitor to WISO Steuer in the consumer tax software segment with online-only delivery model.
• MoneyMoney: Mac-focused German personal finance and banking software; competes with WISO Mein Geld and finanzblick in the consumer banking aggregation segment.
• sevDesk: German cloud accounting platform for freelancers and small businesses; competes with WISO MeinBüro and Billbob on invoicing, expense management, and DATEV export.
• Taxfix: Berlin-based mobile-first tax filing app for German consumers and employees; directly competes with WISO Steuer in the consumer tax filing market with a simpler mobile-first UX.
• FastBill: German cloud-based invoicing and accounting software for SMBs; competes with Billbob and WISO MeinBüro on billing automation and expense management.
• Lexware (Haufe Group): Established German SMB financial software suite for accounting, payroll, and tax; competes with WISO MeinBüro and tax Professional in the self-employed/SMB segment.
• StarMoney: Established German banking and finance management software from Star Finanz (Deutsche Bank/Otto Group); competes directly with WISO Mein Geld, WISO Konto Online, and finanzblick.
• Lexoffice (Haufe Group): Cloud-based accounting and tax software from Haufe Group targeting German SMBs and freelancers; competes directly with WISO MeinBüro in invoicing, banking, and DATEV-compatible workflows.

Emerging players

• Accountable: German tax app targeting self-employed and freelancers; emerging mobile-first competitor in the same tax-and-accounting space as tax Professional and WISO MeinBüro.

Broad incumbents

• Sage GmbH: Global accounting and ERP software provider with German operations; competes across SMB and mid-market accounting segments where WISO MeinBüro and tax Berater also operate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buhldata
• Facebookfacebook.com/BuhlDataService
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buhl-data-service-gmbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Buhl