What Barner & Mastella does

Barner & Mastella is a privately held German tax consultancy firm (Steuerberatungsgesellschaft) headquartered in Berlin and operating a second office in Munich, founded in 1999. The firm is structured as a GmbH & Co. KG with BMB Holding Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH as the personally liable general partner, led by three managing partners: Dr. Frank Barner, Christian Mastella, and Simone Miske. It employs approximately 51 professionals across tax consulting and legal advisory roles, serving clients nationwide and internationally with services delivered in German, English, Italian, Spanish, and French.

The firm's core offering is specialized tax advisory rather than tax-software products. Its portfolio spans general compliance (financial bookkeeping, income statements, balance sheets, tax returns, judicial and extrajudicial representation), legal form and succession consulting, and six differentiated verticals: media/culture/entertainment, professional sports, fashion and models, international tax law, inheritance and gift tax, and a dedicated "Investimenti in Germania" practice for Italian investors in German real estate. The underlying technology stack centers on the DATEV accounting and tax software platform, with the firm holding the DATEV "Digitale Kanzlei" / "Signet Digitale Kanzlei" certification continuously from 2020 through 2026 and supporting e-invoicing (E-Rechnung) workflows. Client delivery combines in-person office consultations in Berlin and Munich with Zoom-based remote meetings.

The business model is fee-for-service professional advisory priced under the mandatory German Steuerberatergebührenverordnung (StBVV) on a quote basis, with no public fee schedule. Go-to-market relies on reputation, referrals, and network partnerships rather than direct sales or performance marketing, principally through the tatort:steuern network of eight Berlin law firms (which co-publishes a quarterly client magazine) and an Italian specialists network of notaries, lawyers, real estate agents, and accountants supporting the cross-border real estate practice. The firm maintains organic presence on LinkedIn, Xing, Instagram, and Facebook for top-of-funnel awareness, but its revenue mechanics are anchored in long-tail individual and small-business engagements across multiple specialty verticals.

Name

Barner & Mastella

Legal name

Barner Mastella Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG

Website

https://bmb-steuerberater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barner & Mastella is a privately held Berlin- and Munich-based tax consultancy founded in 1999, employing 51 professionals to deliver specialized tax advisory for media/entertainment, sports, fashion, international clients, and Italian investors in German real estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax Advisory and Compliance Services: Comprehensive tax law advisory including preparation of financial bookkeeping (Finanzbuchführung), income statement (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung) and balance sheets, various tax returns, representation in judicial and extrajudicial proceedings
2. Legal Form Consulting: Advisory on choice of optimal legal structure for business formation, including support during company founding and legal form change evaluations
3. Succession and Liquidation Advisory: Consulting in the context of business succession planning or liquidation proceedings
4. Italian Investor Advisory: Specialized advisory services for Italian investors in German real estate, including corporate structure selection (GmbH, GmbH & Co. KG), inheritance declarations, and tax audit support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Barner & Mastella is a Berlin and Munich-based tax consultancy firm providing specialized tax advisory and compliance services for clients in media, culture, entertainment, sports, fashion, and international tax law. Services include financial bookkeeping, tax return preparation, judicial and extrajudicial representation, legal form consulting, succession and liquidation planning, and dedicated advisory for Italian investors in German real estate.

Product overview

Barner & Mastella is a traditional tax consultancy firm with no software product platform. The firm offers a unified portfolio of specialized tax advisory services delivered through two offices in Berlin and Munich. Core offerings include general tax consultancy (financial accounting, tax returns, legal representation), supplemented by specialized advisory services in Media/Culture/Entertainment, Sports, Fashion/Models, International Tax Law, Inheritance/Gift Tax, and Investment Advisory for Italian clients in real estate. Services are provided in German, Italian, English, Spanish, and French. The firm is part of the tatort:steuern network of Berlin tax consultancies and holds DATEV Digitale Kanzlei certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Consultancy (Steuerberatung)
• Media, Culture & Entertainment Tax Advisory
• International Tax Law Advisory
• Sports Tax Advisory
• Fashion and Models Tax Advisory
• Inheritance and Gift Tax Advisory
• Investimenti in Germania (Italian Investment Advisory)
• Business Formation and Succession Advisory

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• tatort:steuern NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisors for advisors network comprising eight Berlin law firms. The network aims for economic, organizational, and professional exchange among trusted tax advisor colleagues to stay current with tax law development and technical change. The partnership provides cross-referrals and publishes a quarterly client magazine for mutual clients.
• konvaert Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerlin-based tax consultancy firm located at Goethestraße 85, 10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg. Listed as a network partner within the tatort:steuern ecosystem.
• Italian Specialists NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted bilingual specialists including real estate agents, property managers, labor consultants, notaries, lawyers, bank representatives, and accountants in Italy. The firm collaborates closely with these specialists to serve Italian investors in German real estate investments.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Crowe Germany: International audit, tax, and advisory network with German member firms. Comparable as a mid-tier German tax competitor with international capabilities, though less specialized in entertainment/sports/fashion verticals than Barner & Mastella.
• Baker Tilly Germany: International tax, audit, and advisory firm with German operations serving media and entertainment clients. Comparable as a broad incumbent in German tax advisory with cross-border capabilities relevant to international tax work.
• Rödl & Partner: Large international German-headquartered tax, legal, and consulting firm with strong media and technology practice. Comparable as a sizable German professional services firm with cross-border capabilities, particularly relevant given Barner & Mastella's international tax specialization.
• Mazars Germany: International tax and advisory firm with significant German presence, serving entertainment, sports, and international investor segments. Comparable as an international tax competitor targeting similar verticals with greater scale but less boutique specialization.
• BDO Germany: Global accounting and tax advisory network with substantial German presence. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving mid-market and international clients across tax and advisory services, with overlap in international tax capabilities.
• Grant Thornton Germany: Mid-tier international audit and tax advisory firm with German operations. Comparable as a German tax practice serving mid-market and international clients with cross-border capabilities, though broader and less specialized than Barner & Mastella's niche focus.
• Ebner Stolz: Major German tax, legal, and consulting firm with broad industry coverage including media and entertainment advisory. Comparable as a German-headquartered professional services competitor serving mid-market clients across tax advisory, though lacking Barner & Mastella's depth in entertainment/sports/fashion niches.
• Flick Gocke Schaumburg: One of Germany's leading independent tax advisory firms with deep international tax expertise. Comparable as a top-tier German tax practice with cross-border capabilities, though serving a broader corporate and high-net-worth client base than Barner & Mastella's entertainment/fashion verticals.

Direct peers

• Steuerberatung für Künstler und Kreative (Schürmann & Partner): Specialized German tax firm focused on advisory for artists, creative professionals, and cultural workers. Comparable as a direct niche competitor targeting the same media/entertainment client base with similar boutique service positioning.
• ADLERSCHMID Steuerberatung: Boutique German tax consultancy serving artists, creatives, and media professionals with specialized expertise. Comparable as a similar-sized boutique German tax firm competing in the same creative-industry and entertainment verticals with similar partner-led service models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BarnerMastella
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barner-mastella
• Instagraminstagram.com/barner_mastella

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Barner & Mastella