Receive receipts via WhatsApp, remind deadlines via WhatsApp.
Tax-advisory firms drown in client queries and receipt chaos. We automate receipt routing straight into DATEV Company Online, deadline reminders and FAQ topics, so your staff is there for real counsel.
Three pain points we hear every day.
Clients send receipts via mail / private WhatsApp
Unstructured, no category, to the wrong address. You sort manually.
Deadline reminders manual
VAT returns, income tax, annual reports: the firm chases clients.
Same FAQs daily
"Do we still need the bank statements?" The 100th client with the same question.
How we solve it with Superchat.
Receipt routing
Client sends photo → bot classifies (incoming invoice, outgoing invoice, receipt) → upload directly to DATEV Company Online.
Deadline reminders
Individual deadlines per client (VAT, annual) → WhatsApp reminder 14 + 7 + 2 days before.
FAQ library
Answers to standard questions (travel expenses, company car, home-office flat rate) with reference to current law.
What costs a tax practice time is collecting documents, not advising
Tax practices lose most of their time not to professional work but to chasing paperwork. Receipts arrive as phone photos, by email to the wrong address, or not at all. Deadlines approach while someone rings clients. And the same question about bank statements comes back every week.
The instinct to fix this with stricter instructions rarely works. Clients send documents through whichever route comes to mind. Prescribe the channel they already use, connect it properly, and more paperwork arrives earlier.
So we consolidate the incoming routes into one inbox, pre-sort documents and automate deadline reminders. What happens afterwards stays practice work. We automate the collecting, not the judgement.
This sector has a tighter constraint than any other here: tax practices are bound by professional confidentiality. The channel has to be built to hold up under that duty, otherwise it must not be used at all.
How we introduce this in a practice
- Review and scope First we settle which communication may run through the channel and which may not. The result is a written definition your data protection officer can read.
- Set up the channel, one to two days WhatsApp through the official Business Platform plus the practice mailbox in one shared inbox with clear ownership per client.
- Set up the document track Incoming documents are recognised, assigned to a client and handed to your document storage. Anything the system cannot assign confidently lands in a review list rather than nowhere.
- Record deadlines Relevant dates per client, with reminders in advance, typically 14, 7 and 2 days ahead, stating exactly what is needed.
- Training and operation The team learns the inbox on its own client base. After that we keep running it or hand it over completely.
Confidentiality and data protection in a tax practice
- Professional confidentiality comes first
- German tax advisers are bound to confidentiality under Section 57 of the Tax Advisory Act, and a breach is punishable under Section 203 of the Criminal Code. Section 203(3) also requires that any service provider touching client data is bound to confidentiality. Settle this before the first client chat, not after.
- Processing with a narrow scope
- Alongside the Article 28 GDPR agreement, define which data may enter the channel at all. A document showing bank details is not the same as arranging an appointment.
- Deadline reminders are contractual communication
- Reminding a client of a filing deadline belongs to the engagement and is not marketing. As soon as additional services are promoted, consent under Section 7 of the Unfair Competition Act applies.
- The chat is not the file
- Retention duties are met by your practice software, not by a messenger. The channel transports; storage and deletion periods stay in the system.
These points are a technical and organisational assessment from an implementation perspective, expressly not legal advice and not professional-conduct guidance. Whether and how such a channel may be used in your practice is a decision for you together with your data protection officer and, where required, your professional chamber.
What we actually build for Tax advisor.
- DATEV Company Online connection
- Receipt classification by photo
- Deadline reminders (client-individual)
- FAQ library (tax topics)
- Appointment booking for consultations
Questions Tax advisor businesses often ask.
Can I connect DATEV Company Online?
Yes, via the DATEV XML interface. We handle the configuration incl. client mapping.
Is this tax-advisor GDPR-compliant?
Yes: DPA with Meta and Superchat, no personal data outside the EU. Receipt contents stay encrypted.
What does the chamber of tax advisors say?
Chambers allow digital communication with clients as long as confidentiality and data protection are ensured. The Superchat setup meets both.
Is WhatsApp compatible with professional confidentiality?
Through the official WhatsApp Business Platform, with a processing agreement and a clear definition of what may enter the channel, it can be set up defensibly. Through a private staff phone it cannot. The case-by-case assessment belongs with your data protection officer; we provide the technical basis and the documentation.
Do documents really reach the archive automatically?
Assignment runs automatically when sender and document type are unambiguous. Everything else goes to a review list. That is deliberate: a misfiled document costs more time than it saves.
What about clients who do not use WhatsApp?
Nothing changes for them. Email and post continue as before, only inside the same inbox. The channel is an additional route, not an obligation.
How do we stop clients using the chat for advice?
With a clear statement in the channel and a standard reply pointing to the proper route. You cannot enforce it technically, but you can organisationally. In practice a well-worded note at the start of the conversation is enough.
30-minute check for Tax advisor businesses.
We review your current setup and tell you honestly whether Superchat fits, which flows bring the most value, and what it costs, including Meta fee clarification.
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