The research allowance for your clients – we handle the BSFZ part.
Zulagenlotse partners with tax firms on the demanding BSFZ part of the research allowance (Forschungszulage) – as white-label in the background for your clients or on a referral remuneration. Your firm remains the tax advisor; on request we handle the entire procedure incl. step 2 (all-in package) – success-based, always 10%.
A strong topic – but a specialist craft.
The research allowance is highly attractive for many clients: up to 35% of R&D expenses, claimable retroactively, with a legal entitlement.
But success is decided in stage 1 – the BSFZ certificate. That is where many first-time applications fail: on the “research language”, on separating eligible activities, and on the tight portal character limits. Building this specialist knowledge permanently within the firm rarely pays off.
This is exactly where we come in: you spot the potential with your clients – we deliver the BSFZ expertise. Cleanly separated, with no conflict.
Why separate is better
- We do not provide tax advice – no competition for your clients
- Claiming it with the tax office remains your core tax service
- Liability and evidence quality for the BSFZ application lie with the specialist
- Contractual client protection from the very start
How we can work together
Whether you want to offer the research allowance as a service yourself or simply refer clients on – both routes are fair and transparently arranged.
Full handling in the background
We take on the entire BSFZ part for your clients – in the background. You remain the point of contact, and your client has no extra work.
- We structure the R&D project and prepare the BSFZ application in line with the review guidelines
- Communication either through your firm (white-label) or directly with the client
- You keep the client relationship and the tax-related claim
- Success-based – your client only pays once the funding is actually received
Best for: Firms that want to actively offer the research allowance without building up their own BSFZ expertise.
Start as a partnerReferral for remuneration
You spot funding potential with a client and refer them to us. We take over – and you receive a fair referral remuneration for each successful case.
- Non-binding referral – we handle the first contact and the funding check
- Transparent remuneration, agreed in advance, per collaboration that comes about
- No effort on your side – we keep you informed of the status
- Client protection: we do not poach your clients and stay within our role
Best for: Firms that have clients with R&D activity but do not want to handle the application themselves.
Refer a clientThe collaboration in five steps
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Getting to know each other & setting the framework
In a short, non-binding conversation we clarify the right model (full handling or referral) and the terms.
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Identify the client
You spot R&D activity with a client. A free funding check shows whether – and to what amount – an application is worthwhile.
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We handle the BSFZ part
We structure the project and prepare the BSFZ application in line with the review guidelines – in the background or in direct coordination, exactly as agreed.
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Claiming it with the tax office
Claiming it with the tax office is handled by you as the firm – or, on request, we coordinate the entire procedure as an all-in package (in cooperation with a partner firm).
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Transparent billing
Success-based billing with the client, or the agreed referral remuneration to your firm – clear and fair.
What the partnership brings your firm
Extra income without extra effort
Whether referral remuneration or joint support – you open up a new source of income without building capacity for a specialist topic.
Satisfied clients
Your clients secure an attractive incentive – through you as the person who prompted it. That strengthens their ties to your firm.
No specialist know-how needed
Review guidelines, “research language”, portal character limits: we take on the demanding BSFZ craft.
Clear boundaries – no conflict
We do not provide tax advice. You remain the tax advisor; we only contribute the specialised BSFZ part.
Client protection
Contractually assured: we do not poach your clients and only act within the agreed scope.
Radical transparency
Clear terms, an honest assessment of eligibility, no unproven success rates – towards you and your clients.
Who does what?
We complement your firm, we do not compete with it. The tasks are cleanly separated – so each side stays within its core competence.
| Who | Handles |
|---|---|
| Your tax firm | Tax advice, the client relationship, claiming the allowance with the tax office (ELSTER). |
| Zulagenlotse | BSFZ certification procedure, R&D structuring, and application preparation in line with the review guidelines. |
All-in package on request
Does a client have no tax advisor, or should the entire procedure run from a single source? Then, together with our partner tax firms, we also take on step 2 – so the client has just one point of contact.
10%
success-based, for the all-in package incl. claiming it with the tax office – the same rate as for the BSFZ part alone, no surcharge for step 2.
A fit for your duty of confidentiality.
As a tax firm you are bound by professional confidentiality – passing client data to a third party needs to be handled cleanly. The collaboration is designed for exactly that from the start: information only flows protected and only on a clear legal basis.
How we protect your clients' data
- Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) as standard – before any information is shared
- Data shared only with the client's consent – you never act without it
- Data processing agreement (DPA) under Art. 28 GDPR where processing on your behalf occurs
- Data minimisation: we only ask for what the BSFZ application genuinely needs
- No sharing with third parties, no use for other purposes
Frequently asked questions about the partnership
Do you compete with my firm?
No. We do not provide tax advice. Our service is the specialised BSFZ part (certification and application preparation). Tax advice and claiming it with the tax office remain with you. Contractual client protection ensures that we do not poach your clients.
What does the partnership cost my clients?
Success-based, 10% of the funding actually received, due only once the money has flowed – for the BSFZ part as well as for an all-in package including claiming it with the tax office (in cooperation with a partner firm). There is no surcharge for step 2. No fixed fee, no upfront risk.
Can you also handle claiming it with the tax office?
Yes – together with our partner tax firms. On request we coordinate the entire procedure so that your client has just one point of contact. The reserved tax-related work is always carried out by a tax firm.
How am I remunerated as a referring firm?
You receive a remuneration agreed transparently in advance for each collaboration that comes about. We arrange the exact structure individually and in a legally sound way with you.
How does this fit my duty of confidentiality?
Your professional confidentiality is preserved. Before any information flows, we sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). You only pass on client data with the client’s consent – we never act without it. Where data processing on your behalf occurs, we conclude a data processing agreement (DPA) under Art. 28 GDPR. We work data-minimally and only ask for what the BSFZ application genuinely needs.
Who is responsible for the BSFZ application?
We take responsibility for structuring and preparing the BSFZ application in line with the review guidelines. Claiming the allowance with the tax office, and the responsibility for it, stays with your firm (or a partner firm). The exact split of tasks and responsibility is set out in writing in the cooperation agreement – so each side knows what it stands for.
Which clients are a good fit?
Companies of any size and legal form with their own development or contract research – from software and mechanical engineering to medical technology and technical service providers. What matters is a project with novelty, technical risk and a systematic approach.
How do we start a collaboration?
Write to us briefly via the form below or give us a call. In a non-binding conversation we clarify the right model and the terms and provide you with the necessary documents.
Let's talk about working together.
Tell us briefly which model is of interest for your firm. We will get back to you with a non-binding proposal and the right terms.
- Non-binding & confidential
- Individual, fair terms
- Client protection contractually assured
You speak directly with the specialist: behind the BSFZ part is Simon Hebestreit, founder of Zulagenlotse – no sales team, no call centre. One dedicated contact for your firm and your clients.
Prefer to reach us directly?
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +49 174 6197639