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Kontora – Self-hosted finance dashboard for freelancers in Germany

Kontora – Self-hosted finance dashboard for freelancers in Germany

by eduzbn·Mar 9, 2026·1 point·0 comments
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AI Analysis

●●SolidNiche GemSolve My Problem

German tax calculations with self-hosting when QuickBooks ignores Germany.

Strengths
  • •Handles §35 EStG trade tax credit and Kleinunternehmerregelung automatically.
  • •Docker Compose deployment makes self-hosting straightforward.
  • •2025/2026 tax rates included, not outdated bracket calculations.
Weaknesses
  • •Geographic limitation to Germany severely restricts addressable market.
  • •DATEV export and OCR are paid add-ons, not included in base version.
Category
Finance
Target Audience

Freelance developers and contractors in Germany

Similar To

QuickBooks · SevDesk · Lexoffice

Post Description

Hey HN,

I'm a freelance developer in Germany and built a self-hosted finance dashboard because existing tools either ignore the German tax system or charge too much for basic features.

It handles income/expense tracking, receipt uploads, and — the part I couldn't find anywhere else — full German tax calculation: income tax, solidarity surcharge, church tax, trade tax, and VAT with current 2025/2026 rates. It even handles trade tax credit (§35 EStG) and the small business regulation (Kleinunternehmerregelung) automatically.

Tech stack: Next.js, React, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Prisma, Tailwind CSS. Runs with Docker Compose.

Live demo: https://kontora.zuban.me (credentials are pre-filled)

I'm debating whether to go full open source, SaaS, or open core (free base + paid add-ons like DATEV export and receipt OCR). Would love to hear your thoughts.

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