Firm website: mandatory information and advertising rules in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Many firms are cautious with their website because they are unsure what is permitted under professional law. This often leads to websites so reserved that they convince no one. Yet factual information can be combined well with clear positioning. Here you’ll find an overview of the most important rules for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Germany: what tax advisors may say online

The German Tax Advisory Act permits advertising if it informs factually in form and content about the professional activity and is not aimed at obtaining a mandate in an individual case. This is specified in the professional code of the Federal Chamber of Tax Advisors.

What is generally unproblematic

• Clearly naming advisory specialties and target groups, e.g. “tax advice for doctors and dentists”.
• Specialist advisor titles and additional qualifications, if actually obtained.
• Expert articles, fact sheets and FAQs on tax topics.
• Team, way of working and firm history with real photos.

Caution is advised with

• Superlatives such as “the best tax advisor in town”.
• Promises of success, such as guaranteed tax savings.
• Flat-rate price statements that could conflict with the German fee regulations for tax advisors (StBVV).

Mandatory legal notice details (Germany)

In addition to the usual details under the Digital Services Act (DDG), such as name, address and contact, a tax firm needs additional information:

• the statutory professional title and the country in which it was awarded,
• the responsible chamber of tax advisors,
• the professional regulations, with a note on where they can be viewed,
• details of the professional liability insurance, i.e. insurer and territorial scope,
• for companies, the legal form, register court, register number and authorised representatives,
• the VAT identification number, if available.

Austria: public accountants and KSW

In Austria, tax advisors belong to the public accountants (Wirtschaftstreuhänder). The Public Accountants Act 2017 (WTBG) and the rules of the Chamber of Tax Advisors and Auditors (KSW) are decisive. Here too, factual information about one’s own activities is permitted.

The legal notice follows the E-Commerce Act, the Commercial Code and the Media Act. In addition, the professional title, chamber membership and a reference to the professional regulations are required. Important for search: Austrian clients search for “Lohnverrechnung”, “Buchhaltung” or “Steuerberatung Graz”, not for German terms.

Switzerland: Treuhand instead of tax advisor

In Switzerland, “Steuerberater” is not a protected title in the same sense as in Germany. Companies usually search for “Treuhand” or “Treuhandbüro”. Federal qualifications such as “Treuhänder mit eidg. Fachausweis” or “dipl. Steuerexperte”, on the other hand, are protected. You should name these correctly and visibly. Some cantons also require a licence for fiduciary activities.

For advertising, the Federal Act against Unfair Competition applies above all: statements must be true and must not be misleading. For data protection, the revised Data Protection Act applies. Memberships in associations such as TREUHAND|SUISSE or EXPERTsuisse create additional trust.

How the website stays factual and still convinces

Factual doesn’t mean boring. The strongest firm websites convince through clarity: they say who the firm works for, which topics it is particularly good at and how working together works. Concrete content such as the process of an initial consultation, required documents or digital collaboration is more convincing than any advertising message.

Our page Websites for tax advisors shows how we put this into practice. In any case, have the legal notice and legal texts reviewed by a specialist or your chamber.