Since 1 July 2022, it has been possible to submit property tax returns or assessment notices electronically to the tax offices. Once the return has been submitted, the tax office issues an assessment notice which sets out, amongst other things, the future property tax value of the property. In the live stream on the cut-off date, Paul Liese and Custom Success Manager Samuel Königshoven demonstrated how to use Opti.Tax Land Tax a statement of findings is drawn up. It should also explain how users can gain an overall view of the projects.
The livestream is divided into five thematic sections. But before we begin, Samuel gets to choose his role for the livestream. He decides to play the client. As there are also many experts watching who have not yet decided on a software solution, Paul gives a walkthrough of Opti.Tax Property Tax from A to Z. So we start with the installation. Paul has the latest development status to hand. Whilst the installation is running, there’s an important announcement: the development team is working on an automatic update function. Until now, updates had to be carried out manually; in future, this will also be possible via an automated script.
After opening the programme for the first time, Paul creates a sample user. He then establishes a connection to DATEVconnect with just a few entries. Paul clicks his way through the set-up step by step:
- Master data and certificates: By selecting the client using the client number, the power of attorney and participation can be pre-filled automatically.
- Manage data providers: The contact person for the data package is entered, e.g. the law firm or the data centre.
- Specify the certificate holder: This is where the software certificate is stored. If there are multiple locations or a shared office with only one Opti.Tax installation, a different data transmitter can be specified here.
Paul then briefly demonstrates how a law firm with multiple offices can set these up in Opti.Tax. To do this, a folder must be created for each office and the client number assigned to the respective branch. In addition, you can specify which clients belong to that branch by entering a client number range. Once all this has been done, Paul creates his own user profile for demonstration purposes. Opti.Tax is now set up and ready to go.
Chapter 1: Importing client master data from the law firm software
In the first section, Paul demonstrates how to import master data from the practice management software into Opti.Tax. To do this, he first creates a client. He selects a client number, links the client to the Opti.Tax Cloud and creates Samuel as a sample user with the role „External Processor“. The roles are defined as follows:
- The client’s staff: This person can only be invited to projects belonging to this client.
- External contributor: The person can be invited to join projects run by different clients.
Whilst Samuel is setting up his account using the invitation he received by email, Paul is creating a new property tax project. As part of this, Paul sends two documents to Samuel: a contract and a power of attorney. Paul requests a visual check for the contract and a digital signature for the power of attorney. Paul can now specify a deadline for these approvals. As no client data is stored with DATEV, this is imported from a PDF file.
In the meantime, Samuel has created his account and logged in. Anyone logging into the Opti.Tax Cloud web interface for the first time is presented with a helpful tutorial. The key functions are introduced in just a few steps. Samuel is then taken to the home page, where he sees a sort of Kanban board – in other words, an overview of tasks and projects. The screen is divided into steps, arranged chronologically from left to right. The tasks start on the left. The further they progress, the further they move to the right. When the page first refreshes, Samuel sees the two documents that Paul sent him a few moments ago.
He can now proceed to the approval process. He has the option to raise objections regarding the document, fill in any fields as required and – once all objections have been resolved – grant approval. The fields can only be filled in if they have been created in the PDF. Whilst Samuel is approving the second document, the first task has disappeared. There is a simple reason for this: data sovereignty always lies with the law firm. Consequently, no data is stored in the cloud for longer than necessary. As Samuel has raised an objection, the document has been returned to Paul with the comment – nothing needs to remain in the cloud at this stage.
Chapter 2: Entering data directly into Opti.Tax
There are some clients who dump 20 ring binders on the firm’s desk and say: ‘Here, have a go.’ Then there are clients who don’t feel confident using the web interface, but can manage with an Excel template. The third group uses the web interface and quickly realises that it’s child’s play to use. Opti.Tax is well prepared for all scenarios.
As an example, Paul creates a new plot of land. This is easily done using the intelligent address search. Once the plot has been created, Paul assigns it a tax number. With regard to standard land values, several federal states have still not published a geoportal link via which the standard value is to be retrieved. If the plot of land in Opti.Tax is affected by this, a message to this effect is displayed in the programme.
Finally, the validation process can be started. If the programme detects any contradictory or incorrect information, the user will receive an error message. Once all the details have been entered correctly, Opti.Tax Property Tax generates a document containing all the data and details relating to the property. The reason for this is that not every federal state provides a form. Therefore, regardless of the calculation model used, the programme always generates a document that can be sent to the client for approval.
Chapter 3: Entering and importing data using Excel templates
Data entry using the Excel template is incredibly straightforward. The contact person at the client’s end receives an Excel template. This not only contains all the fields required for entering data on the property or properties, but also a wealth of guidance. The structure and wording have been, and continue to be, continuously improved. At this point, Samuel would like to thank all staff at law firms and tax advisers who have contributed to improving the template with their feedback. Such practical input is invaluable.
Samuel fills in a template as a trial run and advises entering the client number as the unique identification number for the owner (actually, owner(s)). This makes the subsequent allocation process a great deal easier. As the template covers almost every detail, it is very comprehensive. Paul and Samuel recommend that the client always refer to the land register extract whilst filling in the form. Once the form has been completed, it is sent to the practice. This can be done by email, or via the Opti.Tax Cloud, where document attachments are possible.
At this point, Paul mentions that hsp has provided two further Excel templates: the template for the income approach and the one for the cost approach. Each of these templates is designed for a single property. The large template that Samuel presented allows any number of clients and any number of plots of land to be recorded.
Paul now imports the completed text template into Opti.Tax. This is done via the project management function. If you are still working on a project, you must first exit it. However, before Paul imports the Excel template, he demonstrates another new feature that has been in the pipeline for some time. When importing data, you can choose between an Excel import and an import from DATEVconnect. For some time now, DATEV has offered the option to enter any text in a notes field, for example „Property Tax Reform 2022“. If you enter this search term when importing data into Opti.Tax Property Tax, the programme retrieves all clients with this note and creates them in Opti.Tax. The Excel import has been successful. The data can now be checked and, if necessary, supplemented or corrected.
Chapter 4: Data entry and import via Opti.Tax Cloud
Naturally, data entry for the properties is carried out via the Opti.Tax Cloud. This method is essentially the ideal solution, as it is seamless and particularly straightforward. To do this, Paul creates a new task for Samuel by clicking the plus icon and selecting „Create new properties in the cloud…“. This task appears immediately on Samuel’s web interface. He can now create properties within the task. After creating a sample property in a matter of seconds, he can easily enter all the property details. Once the client has finished entering the data, the practice receives all the information seamlessly in Opti.Tax. If any additions or similar are required, the practice can send this specific task back to the client and request further details.
The development team has introduced a small but extremely useful new feature to the numerous tables. These can now be sorted in any order. To do this, simply select the column heading with the parameter according to which the entire table is to be sorted.
Chapter 5: Drawing up a statement of findings and obtaining the client’s approval
Now we come to the highlight of the livestream: the submission of the declaration of assessment. First of all, Paul has the property document approved. Samuel is given a task; he can take his time to look through the document, sign it digitally and send it back. For digital signatures, Opti.Tax works in partnership with d.velop sign. Samuel is therefore redirected to their interface. The client doesn’t need to install anything; everything happens within the browser.
If you encounter any problems, this may be due to Apple’s Safari browser. The signature works with Chrome or Firefox. You can use a stylus, or even your finger on a tablet. If the signature must be qualified and personalised, the signatory requires a digital ID. Alternatively, they must complete an authentication process.
Once the authorisation has been sent to the law firm, the assessment notice can be sent to the tax authorities. The test is working perfectly in the stream. The update to Opti.Tax 22.0.7 will be rolled out on 4 July. Further changes, additions and updates will follow in the next step. There is still much to be done. hsp offers this outstanding agility not only in relation to property tax, but also across all other areas. Should law firms be interested in software of this quality for areas such as procedural documentation, anti-money laundering, internal control systems, tax compliance, transfer pricing documentation, e-balance sheets and more – the solution is Opti.Tax.
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