Managing your finances as a self-employed hairdresser or beautician in Germany comes with its own set of challenges: mixed income (services + product sales), VAT rules, cash payments, and many deductible professional expenses.
With Accountable, you can simplify your bookkeeping and stay compliant - without losing time you’d rather spend with your clients.
This practical guide answers the most common questions we receive from German self-employed beauty professionals and helps you get the most out of the app.
These are the topics that will be covered:
✅ Beauty & hairdressing specific accounting basics
How to encode your revenue
Cash payments and daily turnover
VAT in Germany (subject to VAT or small business owner)
Transport
Training & certifications
✅ List of deductibles and categories to use
Typical deductions for hairdressers & beauticians
Sharing costs with collaborators or salon partners
✅ FAQ
By following this guide, you’ll save time, avoid common mistakes, and keep your accounting accurate - while focusing on what really matters: your clients and your craft. ✂️✨
🌟 Prefer following a webinar? Pre-register now to receive all the details live from a tax coach!
1. Beauty & hairdressing specific accounting basics
As a self-employed hairdresser or beautician, your income usually comes from services, product sales, or a mix of both.
How to manage your income:
Group your daily revenue
Keep track of your daily turnover using:
A cash register
A POS system
Or a simple sales journal
You can group transactions per day or week instead of entering every single client separately.
Encoding in Accountable:
Go to the green “Revenue” screen
Click “Add another revenue”
No client names are required (ideal for cash-based businesses)
Group multiple payments together (daily or weekly)
We also have a step-by-step-guide for you:
💡 Tip:
Haircuts, treatments, styling, beauty services → Service income (Category: Sales of Services)
Haircare products, cosmetics → Product sales (Category: Sale of goods - may be VAT-liable)
2. Renting a chair or working in a salon
If you:
Rent a chair in a salon
Or receive a percentage of turnover from a salon owner
You should:
Create an invoice for your share of the income
Use the salon as your customer
Clearly indicate the agreed percentage or fixed amount
This ensures your income is fully justifiable in case of a tax audit.
3. VAT in Germany: what you need to know
What is the Kleinunternehmerregelung (small business owner)?
Many self-employed hairdressers and beauticians in Germany fall under the Kleinunternehmerregelung (§19 UStG).
This means:
You do not charge VAT (USt) on your invoices
You do not submit VAT returns
Your turnover must stay below the legal threshold (of €25.000)
In Accountable:
Go to Settings > Taxes
Select Kleinunternehmer if applicable
⚠️ Important:
You still pay VAT on your purchases
You cannot reclaim VAT
VAT paid becomes part of your deductible business expense
If you are VAT-liable
If you exceed the Kleinunternehmer thresholds or opt out voluntarily:
You must charge 19% VAT (or 7% where applicable)
Submit VAT returns
Clearly separate service income and product sales
Accountable helps you manage both situations correctly.
4. Transport
🚗 Private car
You can only deduct an allowance for the kilometres you drive to the workspace and for business trips:
Commuter allowance (trips to your workplace)
Mileage allowance (business trips)
🚗 Business car
You can deduct:
Fuel
Insurance
Maintenance & repairs
Depreciation
Parking fees
Deductibility depends on:
Professional use percentage
Vehicle ownership type (1%-Rule or mileage log)
In Accountable:
Add your vehicle
Record each expense
Indicate professional use
Check out our article:
🚲 Bicycle
If you use a bicycle for business:
Deduct actual expenses (repairs, accessories, depreciation)
Keep proof of professional use
🚕 Public transport & taxis
Tickets and subscriptions used for business purposes are deductible under:
Travel > Other travel costs
5. Training & certifications
As a beauty professional, staying up to date is essential and fully deductible.
Don’t forget to include:
Hairdressing or beauty courses
Hygiene certifications
Trade fairs & workshops
Online trainings
Associated costs:
Transport
Meals (meal allowance > 📂 How to deduct your travel expenses?)
Tools or equipment required for training
💡 Tip to maximise deductions:
Training fee → Category: Professional Training
Food → Category: Canteen & reception
6. Deductions for hairdressers & beauticians
Deductible expenses lower your taxable income, meaning:
You pay less income tax
You keep more cash for your business
You can reinvest in better tools, products, or training
Here are common expenses and how to encode them in Accountable:
Item | Category |
Professional clothing (aprons, gloves, protective wear) | Office supplies |
Hairdressing tools (scissors, clippers, brushes, lamps) | Machines & tools |
Beauty products used on clients | Raw material |
Retail products for sale | Goods for resell (Goods and Materials) |
Training & certifications | Training |
Booking software / POS system | Software subscription |
E-invoicing software (Accountable) | Software subscription |
Salon furniture (chairs, mirrors, trolleys) | Shop furniture |
Professional liability insurance | Business insurance |
Other business insurance | Business insurance |
Website, social media ads | Marketing |
Trade associations & memberships | Membership fees |
Renting a chair | Subcontracting |
7. Sharing costs with a collaborator
If you share:
A salon space
Equipment
Utilities
You can:
Pay the expense yourself
Invoice your collaborator for their share
Your collaborator can then deduct their part correctly.
8. FAQ
💭 Which Accountable subscription should I choose?
For most self-employed hairdressers and beauticians - especially those under the Kleinunternehmerregelung - the Bookkeeping-Plan is usually sufficient.
If you are subject to VAT, we recommend the Taxes-Plan.
Check out our article:
💭 Do I need to issue invoices for every client?
For cash payments, a daily or weekly turnover record is usually sufficient.
Invoices are required mainly for:
Business clients
Collaborations
Salon agreements
💭 Can I use Accountable if I’m self-employed part-time?
Yes! Accountable is perfectly suited for side businesses and part-time self-employment.
💭 What if I sell products and services?
Then you may be a mixed taxpayer:
Services (haircuts, treatments)
Product sales (VAT-liable)
These must be clearly separated in your accounting and VAT handling.
💭 What if I operate as a GmbH?
You can still use Accountable to create invoices for your GmbH, but please be aware of the following:
No tax declaration submission: Accountable does not support the submission of tax declarations for GmbH entities.
Different Accounting and Tax Requirements: GmbHs have different accounting and tax obligations compared to sole proprietorships.
💭 What if my exact profession isn’t listed?
No problem, you can enter your profession manually in the app in your settings > personal details.
Webinar pre-registration
💡 Want to make the most of Accountable as a self-employed hairdresser or beautician?
Join our upcoming webinar, where we’ll:
Walk you through the app
Explain VAT & deductions
Answer your profession-specific questions
👉 Pre-register now and get all the insights you need!
If you have any questions about this, just drop us a message via tax-coach@accountable.eu. We’re happy to guide you 💬✨