DATEV Meine Steuern: Uploading receipts via smartphone (Mobile Upload)
Guide to the DATEV Upload mobil app. Install the app, log in via SmartLogin, take photos of your receipts and upload them to the correct tax year.
Introduction
With the DATEV Upload Mobil app, you can photograph your receipts directly with your smartphone and upload them straight to DATEV Meine Steuern. This saves you the extra step of first scanning a receipt, saving it locally and then uploading it on your computer.
For private individuals, this is often the most convenient way: you can record a tradesperson’s invoice or a donation receipt the moment it lands on your desk, and you don’t have to collect anything.
First, a clarification, as the terms can easily be confused:
DATEV Upload Mobil is the app for taking photos and uploading them; DATEV SmartLogin is the app you use to log in. They go hand in hand, but they are two different apps.
Word-for-word transcript
With the DATEV Upload Mobil app, you can photograph your receipts directly with your smartphone and upload them straight to DATEV Meine Steuern on your computer. This saves you the extra step of first scanning a receipt, saving it locally and then uploading it to your computer. For private individuals, this is often the most convenient way. You can record tradespeople’s invoices or donation receipts the moment they land on your desk, rather than having to collect them first. Just to clarify, as the terms are easily confused. DATEV Upload Mobil is the app for taking photos and uploading them. DATEV Smart Login is the app you use to log in. The two go hand in hand, but they are separate apps. The following articles show you how to install the app, log in and record receipts.
This article explains how to install the app, log in and record receipts. A separate article describes the general process of uploading receipts on a computer:
Installing the app
DATEV Upload Mobil is available free of charge from the app stores.
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Download the app
Search for DATEV Upload Mobil in the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android) and install the app.
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Make sure SmartLogin is installed
To log in, you’ll also need the DATEV SmartLogin app on the same device. If you haven’t set up SmartLogin yet, please do so first \[Link zu einem Hilfsartikel].
Once SmartLogin and Upload Mobil are installed on the same smartphone, you can log in without a QR code. The login process takes place directly between the two apps via the App Login function.
Log in to the app
When you launch Upload mobil for the first time, it will connect to your login process.
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Open DATEV Upload Mobil
Launch the app on your smartphone.
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Log in via SmartLogin
The app redirects you to the SmartLogin app. You log in there using your PIN.
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Grant authorisation
You confirm the connection by tapping ‘I agree’. Upload Mobil is then logged in and ready to use.
Take photos of your receipts and upload them
Once the app is logged in, you can record a receipt in just a few steps.
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Select the destination and the tax year
Select ‘DATEV Meine Steuern’ as the destination and the tax year to which the receipt relates.
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Take a photo of the receipt
Point the camera at the receipt. For multi-page receipts, take a photo of each page in turn; the app will combine them into a single document.
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Check and crop
Check the image and, if necessary, adjust the cropping so that the document is captured in full and is straight.
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Upload the document
Confirm the upload. The document will be placed in the selected tax year and will be available to us immediately.
Please check the selected tax year before uploading. A photo that ends up in the wrong year will be missing from the current tax return and will need to be re-sorted.
When to use the app – and when to use a computer
The app is handy for documents that you have to hand on paper or whilst out and about. You can photograph them straight away, without having to use a scanner – the quickest way for a single tradesman’s invoice or a donation receipt.
If you already have receipts saved as files on your computer – such as a downloaded insurance certificate in PDF format – upload them from your computer \[Link zu einem Hilfsartikel]. The app and the portal access the same storage, so you can switch between them depending on the situation.
How to take a good photo
Processing depends on the document being legible. By following a few simple tips, you can avoid the need for further enquiries:
- Take the photo in good, even light without any shadows.
- Place the document flat on a stable surface.
- Make sure the whole document is in the frame, without any edges being cut off.
Common causes of errors
- SmartLogin not installed: Without the SmartLogin app on the same device, login will fail. Uploading via mobile alone is not sufficient.
- Poor lighting conditions: Dark or reflective photos are difficult to read and must be retaken.
- Cropped document: If a margin or a line is missing, mandatory details may be missing. The document will then be unusable.
- Wrong tax year selected: The receipt will be assigned to the wrong year and will not appear in the current tax return.
- Multiple receipts in one photo: If two receipts are in the same image, they are difficult to separate. Please scan each receipt individually.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a DATEV SmartLogin for the app?
Yes. You log in via SmartLogin. Both apps must be installed on the same smartphone; you can then log in without a QR code.
Is the app free?
Yes, DATEV Upload mobil is available free of charge to you as a client in the App Store and Play Store.
Where do my photographed receipts end up?
In the ‘Tax-relevant documents’ section of DATEV Meine Steuern, in the tax year you selected before uploading.
Can I capture multi-page receipts?
Yes. You photograph each page in turn, and the app combines them into a single, continuous document.
Does the app work for multiple people, such as spouses?
Each person logs in using their own login details. We’ll sort out together how access is set up for joint tax assessments.
What should I do if I can’t log in?
Check whether SmartLogin is installed and set up on the same device. If that doesn’t help, please get in touch with us.
Can I upload documents on a computer instead of using the app?
Yes. On a computer, you can upload documents via drag-and-drop or using the button in the portal \[Link zu einem Hilfsartikel]. The app and the portal access the same storage.
Legal notice
This article provides an overview and is not a substitute for individual advice. The app’s features and operation may change as a result of updates; the current version is always the authoritative one.
If you have any questions about setting up the app, please contact us directly.
Last updated: June 2026