One recommendation regarding taxes: Do it yourself.
You're not obliged to enlist the help of a Steuerberater. If you've just got an Einzelunternehmen or GbR, you only have to file a list of earnings and expenses (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung) plus some forms.
Also, become a member of the Bund der Steuerzahler (www.steuerzahler.de / www.steuerzahler-baden-wuerttemberg.de). They offer a vast set of brochures and summaries on their website's members area which can help you find your way around the German tax system. It's also possible to call them and ask for help if you have trouble with specific rules (though they're not allowed to provide proper consulting like a Steuerberater). Membership costs just 56 Euro per year.
I've been doing my tax declaration myself for years now and the few times I've interacted with Steuerberaters I realized they don't know more about the tax system than myself (sometimes they know less).
You're not obliged to enlist the help of a Steuerberater. If you've just got an Einzelunternehmen or GbR, you only have to file a list of earnings and expenses (Einnahmenüberschussrechnung) plus some forms.
Also, become a member of the Bund der Steuerzahler (www.steuerzahler.de / www.steuerzahler-baden-wuerttemberg.de). They offer a vast set of brochures and summaries on their website's members area which can help you find your way around the German tax system. It's also possible to call them and ask for help if you have trouble with specific rules (though they're not allowed to provide proper consulting like a Steuerberater). Membership costs just 56 Euro per year.
I've been doing my tax declaration myself for years now and the few times I've interacted with Steuerberaters I realized they don't know more about the tax system than myself (sometimes they know less).