Germany faces a shortage of tax advisors

Demand for tax advisors in Germany is trending upward and this profession is becoming one of the most needed on the labor market, as both citizens and companies are increasingly seeking professional help.

Millions of people must fill out and submit tax returns each year, and with the filing deadline set to July 31 more and more taxpayers are deciding to hire an expert instead of completing the procedure themselves. Meanwhile, companies are advertising for tax staff for finance, investment and compliance plans, which further increases demand.

What the numbers show

According to an analysis by the German Economic Institute (IW), tax advisors belong to the ten professions with the largest shortage of qualified personnel. Estimates show that during the past year about 14,000 tax advisors were missing, while professional associations believe the real shortage is even greater and reaches around 25,000 experts.

Experts point out that this situation is not surprising: the German tax system is extremely complex and often changes, so both individuals and companies increasingly rely on professional advisors to avoid mistakes, additional costs or fines.

Data from Germany's digital association Bitkom show that during 2024 around 17 percent of approximately 15 million taxpayers used services from a tax advisor. That represents an increase of nearly 25 percent compared to the previous year, which clearly confirms the increased demand for such expertise.

The shortage affects the labor market and the digital solutions industry: there may be an expansion of in-house tax teams at companies, strengthened training programs and referrals from professional associations, as well as an intensification of the development of software that partially automates the work of tax experts.

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