DATEV Meine Steuern: Indexing and retrieving documents
Guide to organising documents in DATEV Meine Steuern. Folder structure (tax year, type of income), assigning documents and adding notes, splitting and merging documents, understanding the padlock icon.
Introduction
If you know how DATEV Meine Steuern organises your documents, you’ll be able to find any document in seconds – and understand why a document appears in a particular place. The filing system is pre-structured by tax year and type of income, so you don’t have to work out an organisation system yourself.
This structure helps us too: we can access the stored documents directly and assign them to the relevant fields in the tax return.
First, a clarification, as there is often some confusion here:
You do not necessarily have to sort receipts into subfolders yourself – the basic framework is predefined, and we take care of the finer sorting. Only we can create custom subfolders, not you.
This article explains how the filing system is organised, how to add notes to documents, how to split multi-page documents, and what the padlock icon is for.
Word-for-word transcript
In DATEV Meine Steuern, documents are indexed across two levels. At level 1, documents are categorised by tax year. This means you’ll see all available tax years here. And within each tax year, there is a further breakdown into the different types of income. This structure helps us too. It allows us to access the stored documents directly and assign them to the relevant fields in the tax return. You don’t have to go to the trouble of sorting the documents into subfolders yourself. This is simply the basic framework; we’ll take care of the finer sorting. In the following articles, we’ll show you how this filing system is structured, how to add notes to documents, how to split multi-page documents, and what the padlock icon is for.
The predefined folder structure
Word-for-word transcript
On the left-hand side, under ‘Tax-related documents’, you’ll find the predefined folder structure. You can go directly into the folder and upload the documents to the relevant folder. You can also click the blue info icon in the top right-hand corner to display an info box that suggests recommended documents. For example, for special expenses and donations, it suggests that you upload donation receipts from charities and so on.
After logging in, you must first select the tax year. Only then will the folders containing the documents open. Each tax year is thus clearly separated from the others.
Within a tax year, the documents are organised by type of income and other main folders. This means that income-related expenses, insurance premiums and donations are each stored in a logical location.
For example: a tradesperson’s invoice falls under ‘household-related services’, whilst a donation receipt falls under ‘special expenses’. You don’t need to know this classification off by heart – the basic structure provides guidance, and we’ll carry out the final categorisation.
If you’re unsure which folder a receipt belongs in, simply upload it. We’ll carry out the precise categorisation whilst processing it. More important than the correct folder is ensuring the receipt is in the correct tax year.
Categorise receipts and add a note
Word-for-word transcript
Here in the document overview, you can rename, sort and categorise documents. By clicking the three dots next to the document, you can either rename it manually or use the AI assistant to rename it automatically. This is a sample tradesman’s invoice. It suggests ‘tradesman’, ‘trades’ and ‘Sampleman’ straight away. We’ll accept that. And then, using the three dots and the AI assistant, we can also move this document. It now suggests ‘tradesman’ and ‘household-related services’. We’ll accept that. Alternatively, you can select the document and move it to the relevant folder. If you click on the document, you can add a note here. A note is helpful if not everything is clear from the receipt alone, such as the reason for a payment or a comment that makes it easier for us to categorise it.
In the receipt view, you can see a preview of every uploaded receipt. There, under ‘Note’, you can add a brief comment.
A note is helpful if the document alone does not provide all the necessary information – such as the reason for a payment or a comment that makes it easier for us to categorise it. This saves you from having to deal with a follow-up enquiry from us later on.
Splitting and merging multi-page documents
Word-for-word transcript
If you have uploaded a document containing several receipts, you can use the ‘Actions’ menu to split them. Click on ‘Split’ here, and then click on the scissors icon at the point where you want to split the document. Clicking ‘Split’ in the top right-hand corner will then split the document into two separate documents. You also have the option to merge documents. Click the three dots to ‘Merge’, then select the relevant documents that belong together and merge them using the button in the top right-hand corner. You can then enter a name and merge them.
In the document preview, you can split or merge documents. You’ll need to do this in two situations.
If there are several different documents in a single file, split them into individual documents. Conversely, if several pages belong together, merge them into a single document.
Documents that have been transferred from DATEV Unternehmen online and filed there will appear as individual pages after transfer. This is normal and can be merged again if required.
The padlock icon: documents that have already been edited
Word-for-word transcript
As soon as you see the padlock icon on a document, you can no longer edit it. This padlock icon means that we have already edited this document. It therefore acts as a safeguard. It ensures that a document we have already worked on cannot be altered without our knowledge. If you wish to make a correction to a locked document, please contact us briefly.
We have already processed documents marked with a padlock icon. You can no longer make any changes to these documents.
The padlock is not an error, but a safeguard: it ensures that a document we have already worked on cannot be altered without our knowledge. If you wish to correct something on a locked document, please get in touch with us briefly.
Keeping track of the year
As receipts are organised by tax year and type of income, you can see what has already been uploaded for the current year. This helps you assess whether anything is still missing at the end of the year.
If you upload documents straight away as they arise, the workload is spread out over the year. At the end of the year, all you need to do is check whether the recurring items – such as insurance premiums or donations – are complete.
Finding receipts
To find a specific receipt, first select the relevant tax year and then open the folder for the relevant type of income. If you refresh the page whilst working, you’ll remain in the selected tax year.
You can use the receipt preview to quickly check whether it’s the document you’re looking for, without having to download it.
Common sources of error
- Receipt in the wrong tax year: If the wrong year is selected before uploading, the receipt will fall outside the scope of the current tax return. It will then appear not to be there at all.
- Combined PDF not split: We first need to split up multiple documents in a single file. Uploading them separately or splitting them beforehand speeds up processing.
- Attempting to edit a locked document: No further changes can be made to a document marked with a padlock icon. Please contact us to arrange any corrections.
- Custom subfolders expected: Only we can create additional subfolders. You sort documents into the existing structure; we’ll take care of the finer sorting.
- Note field left blank for unclear documents: If a document requiring clarification lacks a note, we’ll have to ask for further details. A brief note saves this step.
Frequently asked questions
Can I create my own folders?
No. We reserve the right to create and delete subfolders within the specified main folders. You upload documents into the existing structure; we take care of the detailed organisation.
How do I find an older document?
Select the relevant tax year and open the folder for the appropriate type of income. You can quickly see from the document preview whether it is the one you are looking for.
Why can’t I edit a document anymore?
The document is marked with a padlock icon and has already been processed by us. This protects it from subsequent changes. Please contact us if you need to make a correction.
What is the notes field for?
Use the notes field to add information that isn’t apparent from the receipt itself – such as the reason for a payment. This makes it easier for us to categorise it.
What does it mean if a document appears as separate pages?
Documents that have been transferred from DATEV Unternehmen online and filed there are displayed as individual pages after transfer. They can be merged back together if required.
Do I have to assign documents to the correct income type myself?
It is helpful, but not essential. The key factor is selecting the correct tax year. We will carry out the precise allocation to the relevant fields in the tax return.
Do I stay in the selected tax year when I refresh the page?
Yes. When you refresh the page, you remain in the last selected tax year and do not need to select it again.
Legal notice
This article provides an overview and is not a substitute for individual advice. The application’s functionality and menu navigation may change as a result of updates; the current version is the authoritative one.
If you have any questions regarding filing or a blocked document, please contact us directly.
As at: June 2026