Help centre

Werkzeu.ge is a desktop in your browser with hundreds of tools for German paperwork: taxes, invoices, letters, forms, files, HR and more. You do your own paperwork, we clear the way. Nothing to install.

Press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac) and type what you want to get done, for example “invoice” or “cancellation”. Many tools work without an account. A free account adds the Aktenschrank, the Amtsprofil and saved settings.

1. Press Ctrl+K or click the search at the top.
2. Type what it is about and open the tool.
3. If you want to save things: create a free account.

Yes. Many tools work as a guest, with no sign-up and no cost. Anything you keep then stays in your browser only. For the Aktenschrank, the Amtsprofil and anything stored on our server you need a free account.

Werkzeu.ge speaks eight languages: German, English, Polish, Turkish, Italian, French, Ukrainian and Russian. Switch with the language picker in the top bar. For contracts and legal texts the German version is the binding one.

On the Desktop, the sun and moon button in the top bar switches between light and dark; the accent colour sits right next to it. In the Dashboard you find “Light” and “Dark” under the gear. If text looks too faint, try “High contrast” in the Accessibility tool.

New notifications show up under the bell in the top bar. What arrives by email and what stays in the app you choose in Account Settings under “Notifications”, including deadline reminders by email.

1. Click your profile picture at the top and choose “Account Settings”.
2. Open the “Notifications” section.
3. Tick or untick “In app” or “Email” for each event and save.

Werkzeu.ge is run by Cryon UG (haftungsbeschränkt) in Leipzig. Built by someone who has dealt with the tax office, the trade office and friends often enough himself. All legal details are in the imprint.

Cryon UG (haftungsbeschränkt) is based at Landsberger Straße 35, 04157 Leipzig, Germany, reachable at info@werkzeu.ge. Phone, company register and VAT ID are in the imprint. The contact form is the fastest way to reach us.

Write to us right here with “Write to us” or through the contact form. A human reads every request and replies by email. The more precisely you describe where it gets stuck, the faster it goes.

I am a simple help bot without artificial intelligence. I answer from our help texts, written and checked by people. If I get stuck, your question goes to a human.

No. Werkzeu.ge runs without AI services: calculators use fixed formulas, checks follow fixed rules, and everything else comes from your own input. Your data trains no AI.

Yes, according to the terms the beta runs until 15 December 2026. Single tools may still misbehave, which is exactly why founder prices exist. When you subscribe you confirm this with a separate checkbox.

Glad you asked. Tell us briefly who you are and what it is about, and the founder will get back to you himself. Tax advisers who would like to review our calculation logic find the details on the expert review page.

Press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac) and type what you want to get done, in plain words like “rent” or “cancellation”. On a phone use “Search tools…” at the top. Nothing found? I am happy to ask you a few questions.

Every tool belongs to a tier: Guest, Free, Plus or Pro. If your tier is too low, you see a note about what unlocks it instead of the tool. After an upgrade it opens without a reload.

Click into the tool and press Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on a Mac); only the tool prints, not the whole desktop. For a PDF choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog. Many tools also have their own PDF button.

The tax calculators use the official formulas and the current year’s values. Results are still aids for your own check and do not replace tax advice. If a number looks wrong, report it with your inputs and we will look into it.

Many tools keep drafts in your browser for 30 minutes. When you reopen the tool, “Draft … found” appears with “Restore”. In a private window or after clearing browser data the draft is gone, sadly, so save or download important results.

Some tools were merged into others, so search for the topic with Ctrl+K. A few tools are still being built and only appear once they work properly; PDF to Word is one of them. Send us a wish right here.

Under “Create account” you enter email, password, username and screen name, then confirm your email address with the link we send. The account is free. You must be at least 18, and throwaway addresses do not work.

1. Open “Create account”.
2. Enter email, password (at least 12 characters), username and screen name.
3. Accept the terms and submit. A short check runs invisibly in the background.
4. Click the link in the confirmation email.

No drama. On the sign-in page click “Forgot password?”, enter your email and use the link from the mail. The link works for 3 hours and only once. Afterwards you are signed out everywhere else, on purpose.

1. Open the sign-in page and click “Forgot password?”.
2. Enter your email and press “Send Link”.
3. Click the link in the mail and set a new password with at least 12 characters.

Usually it is one of four things: the password, an unconfirmed email, the two-factor code or a browser extension interfering with our page. Let me ask you a few quick questions and we will find it.

The magic link signs you in without a password: put your email into the sign-in form, press “Send Magic Link” and open the link from the mail. It works for 15 minutes and only for existing accounts. It does not create a new account.

After signing up we send you a mail with a confirmation link. One click is enough, on any device and in any browser. The link works for 48 hours; until then the account stays restricted.

1. Open your inbox, including the spam folder.
2. Click the link in the mail from Werkzeu.ge.
3. No mail? Press “Resend verification email” on the confirmation page.

Then just request a new one: sign in with email and password, you land on the confirmation page, and there is “Resend verification email”. Only the newest link counts.

As long as the address is not confirmed yet, you can fix it yourself: on the confirmation page click “Correct email address”, enter the right address and your password, then “Change and resend”.

For a confirmed account we change the email address through support, so we can check that the account and its payments really belong to you. Write to us from the old address and tell us the new one.

In Account Settings under “Security”, enter your current and your new password. At least 12 characters, and we refuse passwords from known data leaks. All your other sessions are ended afterwards.

2FA is optional for every account and every role. If you want it: Account Settings, “Security”, “Enable 2FA”, scan the QR code with an authenticator app, enter the code. Keep the backup codes safe, they are your spare key.

When signing in, choose “Use a backup code instead” and enter one of your saved codes. Then set up 2FA again in Account Settings. Without backup codes you need to write to us, and we check that the account is yours.

Yes, on the sign-in page there is the Google button under “or continue with”. An existing password account is not linked to Google automatically just because the email matches. That protects against account takeovers.

The username is your fixed address for your profile and @mentions. The screen name is what others see in forum and chat, and you can change it. Your legal name is visible only to you and our admins and only required for a paid plan, because of the invoice.

Both live in Account Settings under “Profile”: enter the screen name and “Save”; for the picture use “Upload image”. The screen name has to be free, so nobody else may be using it.

Not by yourself: the username stays fixed because profile links and mentions depend on it. If you really need it changed, write to us. The screen name, on the other hand, you can change any time.

In Account Settings under “Profile”: “Legal name” and below it the “Billing address” we use for your invoices. Best fill both in before you subscribe. For team plans you enter the invoice recipient directly at checkout.

Account Settings, “Active Sessions”: it lists every device you are signed in on right now. End single ones with “End” or all the others at once. If something looks unfamiliar, change your password right after.

A sign-in lasts up to 14 days. If you keep getting thrown out, the browser usually deletes cookies when it closes, or you are in a private window. Allow cookies for werkzeu.ge and tick “Stay signed in” when you sign in.

Change your password right away (or reset it with “Forgot password?”), which signs out all other devices. Then turn on 2FA and tell us what you noticed. Please report a security hole you found right here as well.

If it says “Too many attempts”, just wait a few minutes. If it says the account cannot sign in right now, the account is blocked or deleted. Then check your email and write to us, we will tell you what is going on.

In Account Settings under “Data & Privacy” there is “Delete Account”. You then have 14 days to change your mind, after that it is deleted. A running subscription is cancelled automatically. Invoices stay for the legal ten years, but with your name removed.

1. First: request a data export and download important files from the Aktenschrank.
2. Open Account Settings, “Data & Privacy”.
3. Click “Delete Account”, type DELETE, then “Permanently Delete”.

Within the 14 days you can: sign in with email and password, then in Account Settings under “Data & Privacy” press “Cancel deletion”. A subscription that was cancelled along the way does not come back by itself; you take out a new one. If the deletion has already started, write to us right away.

One account per person, as the terms say. You do not need a second one for private and business: with Pro you create a shared organisation and switch between “Personal” and the company at the top.

Shared organisations come with Pro. Use the organisation switcher at the top, “Start a team” or “New organisation…”, then under “Manage organisation” create an invitation link or email in “Invitations”. You can attach module roles right away.

Yes, with Pro. API keys belong to an organisation: under “Manage organisation”, section “Integrations”, “New key”. The key is shown only once, so store it safely right away. What the API can do is listed on the import and export page.

For every 3 friends who sign up through your personal link and make their first Plus or Pro payment, you get one month of Plus as credit. Your link is in Account Settings under “Subscription”. The programme runs until 31 July 2027; nothing is paid out in cash.

Yes. In Account Settings under “Affiliate” you get up to 5 links and a share of the net price of every payment from customers you referred, paid monthly by bank transfer. When sharing you must label the link as an advertising or partner link, and taxes on it are your job.

For an account and for a paid plan you must be at least 18, which you confirm when signing up. The guest tools work without an account.

Guest and Free cost nothing. Plus and Pro are subscriptions, monthly or yearly, all prices including 19 % German VAT. Until 20 November 2026 founder prices apply, and you keep yours for as long as your subscription runs. The current amounts are always on the pricing page.

Founder prices come in three phases: Platinum until 15 August, Gold until 20 October and Silver until 20 November 2026. The price you subscribe at stays with no end date as long as your subscription runs without a break. From 21 November 2026 new subscriptions pay the full price.

Free gives you an account, the desktop, the community and 25 MB of Aktenschrank storage. Plus unlocks the extended tools for documents, finance and productivity, with 3 GB of storage. Pro has every tool, plus teams, API, automation and 10 GB.

Yes, at checkout you can pick “Try for 14 days, then pay”. You add a payment method right away; the first charge only comes after 14 days, and if you cancel before that you pay nothing. With Mollie 1.00 euro is charged upfront and credited or refunded.

1. Choose Plus or Pro and pick “Try for 14 days, then pay”.
2. Add a payment method; the first charge date is shown right above the button.
3. Not for you after all? Cancel before that date and nothing is charged.

You pay through PayPal, Mollie or Stripe. That covers PayPal, credit card, SEPA direct debit as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Which methods are actually offered right now is shown at checkout.

It depends on the provider. With PayPal you change it in your PayPal account under “Automatic payments”. With Stripe the billing settings lead you to the Stripe customer portal. With Mollie it only works by cancelling and subscribing again, or you write to us.

No hoops: the cancellation page works without signing in, or signed in go to Account Settings, “Subscription”, “Cancel”. You keep access until the end of the paid period, then you are back on Free. Your data stays.

1. Open the cancellation page.
2. Enter your account email and contract reference (or request an email link).
3. Press “Cancel now”; the confirmation arrives by email.

Your contract reference is in Account Settings under “Subscription”, “Manage contract”, and in newer billing emails. Not at hand? On the cancellation page you can request a one-time email link instead.

The minimum term is one billing period, so one month or one year. After that the subscription continues until you cancel, with at most one month’s notice. If you cancel early, you keep access until the end of the paid period.

After the paid period you are moved back to Free automatically, and your data stays for now. Since Free only has 25 MB of storage, download larger collections beforehand. Your founder price usually stays reserved for a while after cancelling; the cancel dialog shows you.

Yes, while the paid period is still running: Account Settings, “Subscription”, “Reactivate”. PayPal subscriptions cannot be reactivated; there you simply take out a new one.

For every payment you automatically get a PDF invoice by email, with VAT shown separately. You also find all invoices in Account Settings under “Billing”, each with “Download PDF”.

We cannot simply overwrite an invoice once issued; we correct it properly. First fix your name and billing address in Account Settings so the next ones are right, then send us the invoice number.

Yes, all prices include 19 % German VAT. The invoice shows the VAT separately, so businesses can claim it.

Yearly you pay ten times the monthly price, so 10 months instead of 12. The minimum term is then one year. Switch in Account Settings with “Change plan”.

In Account Settings under “Subscription”, press “Change plan”. A move down applies at the end of the paid period, and your Aktenschrank then has to fit the smaller quota. A move up applies right away or from the next charge depending on the payment provider; the dialog tells you.

Pro Team is billed per seat; each seat costs the same as a Pro plan, from 1 to 500 seats. Every paid seat adds 10 GB of shared storage. You change seats under “Manage organisation”, and nothing is prorated. Employees who only use the employee portal need no seat: their employee login costs nothing extra.

At checkout click “Enter coupon code”, type the code, press “Redeem”. The discount applies to the first charge. With the free trial a coupon only works via PayPal; otherwise choose “Pay now”.

They are required, without them you cannot subscribe: terms, being of age or authorised to represent, the beta notice and your request that we start right away. That last box does not waive your right of withdrawal. Team plans add the data processing agreement.

The payment provider usually confirms within seconds, sometimes up to three minutes, then everything unlocks without a reload. Direct debit can take longer. If it hangs longer, reload the page or sign out and back in. If that does not help, write to us with the date and payment method.

Direct debit and bank transfers take the bank a few working days before the provider confirms them. Until then it says “Payment pending”, and the bigger storage only arrives after the first successful payment. If it still says so after a week, write to us.

Declines usually happen at the bank or the provider: a limit, an expired card or a missing approval in the banking app. Try again or use another payment method. If a running charge fails, your subscription shows until when access stays.

As a consumer you can withdraw within 14 days of subscribing, and we refund you. A proportionate amount for the time you already used may be deducted. After that the paid period runs to its end. For double or wrong charges, write to us and a human sorts it out.

After a chargeback the payment counts as unpaid and the paid features may be locked. Your Free access stays. Tell us briefly what happened; it can usually be sorted out without a fight through the bank.

The Aktenschrank is your file storage on our servers in Germany, from the free account up. Folders, full-text search, a trash bin, and whatever tools create lands there automatically. Every uploaded file is checked for viruses.

Free: 25 MB, files up to 10 MB. Plus: 3 GB, files up to 250 MB. Pro: 10 GB, files up to 1 GB, and in a team 10 GB per paid seat. The bigger storage unlocks after the first successful subscription payment; during a trial it stays at 25 MB.

Delete old files and then empty the trash, because files in the trash still count. Or get more room with Plus or Pro. Before moving to a smaller tier, the Aktenschrank has to fit the new quota.

Yes, for 30 days. In the Aktenschrank open “View”, then “Trash”, pick the file, press “Restore”. Whatever you shred there for good is really gone.

In the Aktenschrank select a file or folder, then “File” and “Share...”. You can share with a person (email or @username) or an organisation, optionally only until a certain day. The other side can only view, download and save a copy. There are no public links for everyone.

1. Click the file or folder in the Aktenschrank.
2. Menu “File”, then “Share...”.
3. Choose a person or organisation and press “Share”.
4. The other side finds it under “Shared with me”.

Every uploaded file is checked for viruses, and only then can it be opened. That usually takes seconds. “Blocked: virus found” means the file stays locked. On “Scan failed”, please upload it again.

In the encrypted folder, files and file names are encrypted in your browser already. We know neither the password nor the key, and support cannot restore anything either. Forgotten means: delete the folder and create it again; the rest of your account stays untouched.

Most tools work right in your browser, and the file does not leave your computer. Some need our server, such as text recognition, audio or video. The tool tells you beforehand.

For files: select them in the Aktenschrank and use “Download as ZIP”. For your account data: request an export in Account Settings under “Data & Privacy”; you get it as a file via an email link. Organisations create an organisation archive under “Manage organisation”.

When a tool saves something for you, it lands in the Aktenschrank, usually in a fitting folder such as “Fakturen”, “Verträge” or “Datenschutz”. The quickest way to find it is the Aktenschrank search, which also looks inside the files.

A current browser is enough, such as Firefox, Chrome, Edge or Safari. Nothing to install, and there is no app in the app stores. Ancient browsers like Internet Explorer cannot handle it, sadly. If something hangs, update your browser first.

Turn on Performance mode: it removes transparency and animations and is meant for slow computers, VMs and terminal servers. Also close windows you do not need and leave the radio off. If that does not help, tell us your device and browser.

1. Desktop: the Werkzeu.ge logo at the top left, “Settings”, “Performance mode”.
2. Dashboard: open the gear and switch on “Performance mode”.
3. The mode applies to this device only.

Werkzeu.ge was open in a second tab, and so that drafts do not overwrite each other, only one tab works at a time. Press “Use here” and you carry on in this tab.

Then only this one window tripped, everything else keeps running. Press “Try again” or “Reload page”. If the error comes back, report it with the tool’s name and what you were doing.

Tell us right here. What helps most: which tool, what you did, what should have happened and what happened instead, plus browser and device. We send the tool, page and version along automatically.

Check spam, promotions or “Other” first. Our mails come from info@werkzeu.ge, so add that address to your contacts. Also check you did not mistype your address. After a few minutes you can have it sent again.

1. Search your spam and promotions folders for “Werkzeu.ge”.
2. Add info@werkzeu.ge to your contacts.
3. Have it sent again and only use the newest link.

Signing in, signing up and contacting us run a short, invisible check first. If it takes longer, you see “One moment, quick check”. Ad blockers and privacy extensions sometimes interfere with it. Allow werkzeu.ge in the extension or try a private window without extensions.

As a guest many tools work anyway. To sign in, though, you need the necessary session cookie, otherwise the site forgets you on the next click. Allow cookies for werkzeu.ge; we set no advertising cookies anyway.

Yes, in your phone’s browser; you do not need a separate app. Instead of windows you get a home screen with “Favourites”, “Recently opened” and “All tools”, and every tool opens full screen. For big tables a tablet or computer is more comfortable.

The main ones: Ctrl+K search tools, Alt+W close the active tool, Alt+Q next tool, Ctrl+D show desktop, Ctrl+P print, Esc closes overlays. On a Mac use Cmd instead of Ctrl. The full list is under “Keyboard shortcuts”.

That is the goal: Tab moves through fields and buttons, Enter triggers, Esc closes. Ctrl+K opens any tool without a mouse. If you get stuck somewhere, tell us where and we fix it.

We build every tool so that a screen reader should announce it correctly. Where something is not read out or sounds wrong, that is a bug on our side. Tell us the tool, screen reader and browser, and we take care of it.

In the “Accessibility” tool you set text size, high contrast, less transparency, fewer animations and a dyslexia-friendly font. Larger text on all your devices is also available in Account Settings under “Display” as “Reading comfort”.

Click into the tool window once before Ctrl+P so exactly that gets printed. If the preview is cut off, choose “Fit to page” or portrait in the print dialog. If a tool still prints the whole desktop, tell us which one; it is then missing its print view.

What changed is listed on the “Changelog” page. We roll out updates on the server, you install nothing; reloading the page is enough.

Our core infrastructure and your files live with Hetzner in Germany, in data centres in Nuremberg and Falkenstein. Encrypted backups are kept in another Hetzner region in the EU. The few other service providers involved are listed in the privacy policy.

Only a few, and all are listed in the privacy policy: Hetzner for hosting, Sentry for error reports (EU region) and at checkout the payment provider you choose. Bot protection at sign-in and contact is our own, without a third party. We use no advertising or social media trackers.

No, we do not sell your data and we set no advertising cookies. We live off the Plus and Pro subscriptions. The notices in the desktop panels advertise our own products, without tracking.

Only a few cookies are necessary, mainly for signing in. Our own audience measurement counts visits without cookies. An extra analytics cookie is set only with your consent, which you can change any time via “Cookie settings” at the bottom of the page.

In Account Settings under “Data & Privacy”, press “Request export”. Within 24 hours a download link arrives by email, valid for 7 days. One export every 30 days. For a fuller information request, write to us.

That is your right. Much of it you can change yourself or handle by deleting your account. For everything else, tell us exactly what should be deleted or corrected. Where a legal retention duty applies, such as for invoices, data is not deleted but separated from you.

We have not appointed a separate data protection officer, because the legal conditions for one do not apply to us. Privacy questions come straight to us, ideally right here with a request on the privacy topic.

Your Amtsprofil is encrypted in your browser with your own Amtsprofil password; we only store the sealed envelope. That is why nobody here can reset the password. With your recovery package (file plus code) you get the details back; without it, all that is left is deleting it and starting over.

Yes. When you take out a team plan for an organisation, you conclude the data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR at the same time, with a checkbox at checkout. You can read the text in peace beforehand.

No. Werkzeu.ge is not a tax adviser, not a lawyer and not a notary, and it does not replace them. The tools help you understand, prepare and organise your own paperwork, and your advisers get clean figures instead of a shoebox.

We make no promise of legal certainty. Templates and generators take a lot of work off your hands, but whether a document fits your case is for you to check or have checked. When in doubt, ask a legal professional.

Yes, as a consumer you have 14 days from signing up. Declare withdrawal without signing in and without a reason on the withdrawal page, or informally by email to info@werkzeu.ge. A proportionate amount may apply for time already used. The details are in the terms under § 8.

Small, necessary changes are announced by email at least 30 days in advance. A price increase or less paid service only applies with your explicit consent; silence does not count. Earlier versions of the terms are linked on the terms page.

For content you believe is illegal there is a public reporting page that works without an account. Describe exactly where the content is and why it is illegal. We review every report.

All legal texts are public and reachable without an account: imprint, privacy policy, terms and cookie policy. On the Desktop you also find them in the Werkzeu.ge menu at the top left. The German version is the binding one.