030 555 721 370
anfrage@guhr-steuerberatung.de
Auerstr. 14, 10249 Berlin
Industry · SaaS & Tech Startups
Tax advisory for SaaS founders who want to scale.
We are the tax advisory for founders of SaaS, platform and tech startups – from pre-seed to Series B. We handle your bookkeeping and annual accounts reliably – and beyond that we think in ARR, runway and cap table, rescue loss carryforwards through financing rounds and structure you cleanly all the way to exit. Nationwide, digital and personal.
Nationwide · 100% digital- Specialized in SaaS & tech startups
- A personal point of contact
Sound familiar?
Problems SaaS founders know all too well.
We talk to founders of SaaS and tech startups every day – VC-backed or bootstrapped. This is what we hear again and again:
Your financing round destroys your loss carryforwards.
An investor comes in, more than 50% of the shares change hands – and § 8c KStG (German Corporate Tax Act) wipes out the loss carryforwards you built up over years. No one warned you.
ARR is growing, but your advisor books by bank balance.
Prepaid annual subscriptions land in revenue all at once instead of being recognized over time. Your P&L shows numbers that have nothing to do with your real MRR reality.
Your ESOP triggers a dry-income problem.
Employees are asked to pay tax on something they haven't received in cash yet. Without a clean § 19a structure, equity becomes a burden instead of an incentive.
Convertible loans and SAFEs are a tax black box.
Convertible loans, discounts, caps, hidden capital contributions – your advisor doesn't understand the mechanics, and closing the next round gets expensive.
VAT on international customers is a minefield.
US customers, EU B2B, digital services, OSS, reverse charge – you're never quite sure whether you're invoicing correctly. Getting it wrong either way costs you.
The exit is near – and you have no holding company.
Sell as an individual and partial-income taxation applies. Founders who don't set up a holding BEFORE the term sheet often leave a seven-figure tax amount on the table.
What changes for you
More runway. Lower taxes. A cap table that won't surprise you.
We are not a classic tax firm. We deliver what you actually need as a founder – results that protect your valuation and your runway.
Loss carryforwards that survive rounds.
We protect your loss carryforwards through financing rounds using the continuation-bound loss carryforward under § 8d KStG – cleanly documented and filed in time.
Numbers that convince investors.
Period-accurate revenue recognition, ARR/MRR-consistent reporting and a P&L that holds up in the data room – rather than being corrected during due diligence.
ESOP without the dry-income trap.
We structure VSOP and ESOP so that § 19a EStG (Income Tax Act) and the German Future Financing Act apply – your team gets equity without untaxed phantom income.
Runway you can actually steer.
Liquidity and runway planning with real cash-burn scenarios. You know months in advance when the next round has to close – not when the bank account starts beeping.
Grants you'd otherwise leave behind.
R&D tax credit under the FZulG (Research Allowance Act), the INVEST grant, the IAB investment deduction – we secure capital that doesn't dilute your round and cuts your burn directly.
An exit setup that's ready in time.
Founder holding, § 8b KStG, cap-table hygiene – we build the structure that makes 95% of the sale tax-free, long before a buyer knocks.
Personally from Karsten Guhr
A startup rarely fails because of a bad product. It fails because of a financing round where no one thought about § 8c, an ESOP with a dry-income trap, or an exit without a holding structure. That's exactly where we come in: we think your tax structure far enough ahead that every round and every exit makes you stronger – instead of costing you millions.
We know your business
We speak SaaS.
ARR, MRR, net revenue retention, cap table, convertible, vesting, runway, rule of 40 – we know how a SaaS startup ticks. So you don't waste time explaining your business model or your metrics to us.
- 01
Revenue recognition & deferred revenue
Prepaid annual and multi-year subscriptions recognized over time via deferred revenue (passive RAP) – your P&L reflects real MRR, not the day the cash landed.
- 02
Loss carryforwards & § 8c/§ 8d KStG
A change of shareholders in a round threatens to forfeit your losses. The continuation-bound loss carryforward under § 8d KStG is often the rescue.
- 03
Convertible loans & SAFEs
Convertibles, discounts, caps, investment agreements – mapped cleanly for tax and synced with the cap table before the round closes.
- 04
ESOP / VSOP & § 19a EStG
Employee equity without dry income: we use § 19a EStG and the German Future Financing Act so tax applies only on real cash inflow.
- 05
International VAT
OSS scheme, reverse charge, digital B2B and B2C services, US customers – one clean setup for your cross-border revenue.
- 06
R&D grants & software capitalization
R&D tax credit under the FZulG for your development work – plus a clean assessment of when self-created software must be capitalized.
- 07
Founder holding before exit
Holding your shares in a company rather than privately: at sale, capital gains are effectively ~95% tax-free under § 8b KStG.
- 08
Runway & liquidity planning
Cash burn, runway scenarios and investor reporting – numbers you plan the next round with instead of chasing after it.
Industry benchmarks
We know your industry's metrics. And protect them for tax.
We support more than 40 SaaS and tech startups and see real numbers – not pitch decks. SaaS is mostly growth-driven, with EBIT deliberately negative. We know where you should sit on gross margin, rule of 40 and net revenue retention, and which levers pull your tax bill down and your runway up.
Typical metrics (gross margin / rule of 40)
- 70 – 80% GMPre-seed / seedEBIT deliberately negative · runway & loss carryforwards are the decisive factor
- Rule of 40 ≥ 40%Series A / BGrowth + margin combined · net revenue retention above 100% is the target
- 15 – 30% EBITBootstrapped / profitableCash-flow driven · distribution and holding strategy pays off
- 80 – 85% GMVertical SaaSHigh gross margin · CAC payback and NRR drive the valuation
How we lower your tax bill and extend your runway – legally and without balance-sheet acrobatics:
- Continuation-bound loss carryforward§ 8d KStG rescues loss carryforwards that § 8c would otherwise destroy on a change of shareholders – filed in time and cleanly documented, often worth seven figures.
- Founder holding (§ 8b KStG)Move your shares into a holding before exit: capital gains stay effectively ~95% tax-free – instead of partial-income taxation at the personal level.
- R&D tax credit (FZulG)Up to €3.5m assessment base per year – the credit is paid out, cuts your cash burn directly and doesn't dilute your round.
- ESOP/VSOP under § 19a EStGEmployee equity without dry income and without ongoing payroll cost – it retains key people without straining your runway.
- Investment deduction (IAB)Deduct up to 50% of planned investments in advance to reduce profit – for servers, hardware and the tech infrastructure behind your stack.
- INVEST grant & fundingINVEST makes your angel round more attractive for investors and eases your fundraising – we review and manage the applications.
Why GUHR
Tax advisory that finally thinks in rounds and exits.
We don't want to be the next advisor who writes "receipts by the 10th, please." We want to be the partner who makes your startup fundable, exit-ready and predictable.
Specialized in SaaS & tech
More than 40 SaaS and tech mandates – we know the § 8c traps, ESOP dry income, convertible mechanics and what investors expect in due diligence.
Nationwide · digital
A fully digital setup. Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne or Leipzig – we work as fast and remote-native as your team.
Proactive, not reactive
We reach out before the term sheet, not after the closing. Tax structure for the next round – not repairs on the last one.
Personal, not anonymous
One dedicated point of contact who knows your cap table, your metrics and your roadmap. Answers in hours, not weeks.
More than tax advisory
A network of founders and investors. Included.
With GUHR you join a client circle you'd otherwise only meet at demo days and on investor calls. Founders who speak openly about rounds, valuations, cap tables and exits – because they trust the same advisor.
A selection from our SaaS & tech client base
We name specific clients only with their consent. In your intro call we'll show you relevant cases from your niche.
What this means for you in concrete terms:
- 01
Founder round tables
Quarterly small-group meetings – on topics like fundraising, cap-table structure, ESOP design and exit preparation. By invitation, under NDA.
- 02
Peer benchmarks
We benchmark your metrics anonymously against comparable startups at your stage and niche – ARR growth, burn, rule of 40. So you see where you really stand.
- 03
Access to capital & advisors
Looking for a lead investor, a grants specialist or an M&A lawyer for the exit? We connect you directly – no commission games.
Head office Berlin · clients from Sylt to Garmisch
Nationwide · 100 % digital
One firm. Available anywhere in Germany.
Whether Berlin, Munich or somewhere in between: we run every mandate fully digital – DATEV-connected, signed PDFs, video meetings. No commuting, no postal delays, no 90s-style bookkeeping.
- 01
DATEV Unternehmen online
Receipts, banking, payroll, reports – you work in the standard interface every German tax advisor speaks. No vendor lock-in.
- 02
Video meetings instead of on-site visits
Quarterly review, tax strategy, holding check – via video with screen sharing. You save half a day every time.
- 03
Signed PDFs & digital powers of attorney
Tax filings, annual accounts, contracts – signed via qualified e-signature. Accepted by the tax office, done in minutes.
How we work with SaaS startups
From intro call to a round- and exit-ready structure.
On average, 14 days from your decision to switch to a fully running digital setup.
Intro call & structure check
30 minutes. We review your cap table, loss carryforwards, ESOP and the biggest tax levers – free.
01
Onboarding in 14 days
We handle the switch from your previous advisor, set up DATEV and connect banking, Pleo, Lexoffice, sevdesk or your existing bookkeeping.
02
Ongoing support
Monthly financial reports with an ARR/MRR view, runway reporting and one dedicated contact – plus proactive alerts before every round and every grant window.
03
Round & exit strategy
Annual accounts, loss-carryforward protection, holding setup and a clear tax roadmap for your next financing or your exit.
04
030 555 721 370FAQ
Answers for SaaS founders.
The questions you ask us most before switching.
Intro call for SaaS & tech startups
What your next round and your exit cost in taxes – we'll show you in 30 minutes.
You outline your stage, cap table and roadmap; we name the concrete levers (§ 8d loss protection, founder holding, ESOP under § 19a, R&D tax credit) and send a written proposal within 48 hours. Nationwide and free.