Lawsuit filed against Accountable due to AI tax advisor

The Berlin Chamber of Tax Consultants has filed a lawsuit against the tax tech startup Accountable. The proceedings center on the use of the term "AI tax advisor" and the design of a digital product of the same name. The case is being heard by the Berlin II Regional Court.

The proceedings could have fundamental significance for the use of artificial intelligence in regulated professions.

Accusations by the Chamber of Tax Consultants

The Chamber of Tax Consultants considers the use of the term AI tax consultant to be a violation of competition law and an unauthorized use of the protected professional title of tax consultant.

It also criticizes the fact that the startup offers tax assistance without being recognized as a corresponding professional practice. The aim of the lawsuit is to prohibit Accountable from using the designation and to stop the offer in its current form.

Startup rejects accusations

Accountable refutes the allegations and has announced that it will defend itself legally. The company argues that the product is clearly a digital solution and not human tax advice.

We have developed a technology that is specifically aimed at solo self-employed people who, due to the shortage of tax advisors in Germany today, often have no access to traditional tax advice or simply cannot afford it.

Tino Keller, co-founder of Accountable

According to co-founder Tino Keller, no misleading impression is created. The application is designed to be transparent and makes it clear that it does not replace traditional tax advice.

Note from the editorial team

As understandable as the Berlin Chamber of Tax Consultants' defense stance is with regard to the protection of the profession, Accountable's position also appears to be consistent. Both sides argue coherently from their respective perspectives and yet the debate falls short. At its core, this is merely about a digital offering for the self-employed. From the perspective of many founders, however, this conflict does not touch on the actual problem. Rather, it is an example of a structural challenge: excessive bureaucracy that is increasingly slowing down innovation, economic dynamism and value creation. It is difficult to explain why, for example, a holding company with just a few transactions a year, such as twelve bookings and just as many bank statements, incurs tax consultancy costs of around 2,000 euros. Equally in need of explanation is the implicit expectation that founding a start-up without professional tax advice hardly seems realistic. The current legal dispute only concerns a single startup that is attempting to address precisely this pain point for the self-employed, at least in part. At the same time, the question arises as to why established institutions such as the Chamber of Tax Consultants do not take the initiative themselves and develop innovative, cost-efficient solutions that meet the needs of modern entrepreneurs. Ultimately, all of this leads to an overarching question for politicians: Why is there no fundamental reform? A reform that enables the self-employed, founders and entrepreneurs to significantly reduce administrative hurdles or, ideally, eliminate them completely through automated, cost-neutral processes.

Fundamental question for AI and regulation

Beyond the individual case, Accountable sees the proceedings as a landmark decision for dealing with AI in the context of regulated professions. The outcome could have an impact on future innovations, particularly in the tax sector.

A key background issue is the shortage of skilled workers. According to estimates, there is a shortage of more than 10,000 tax advisors in Germany. Digital solutions could play an important role here, especially for solo self-employed professionals who often have no access to traditional advice.

Accountable emphasizes that the solution is developed together with tax experts and draws clear boundaries with traditional advice. In addition, the company takes responsibility for possible errors and offers users a comprehensible basis for decision-making. The Chamber of Tax Consultants, on the other hand, sees a risk of clearly defined professional standards being watered down.

Effects on the self-employed

The outcome of the proceedings could have far-reaching consequences, not only for the company itself, but also for tens of thousands of self-employed people who already use digital tax solutions.

This makes the case a touchstone for the question of how much room innovation will be given in the future in the area of conflict between existing regulation.