Leads Autaxo’s tax architecture: margin scheme taxation under § 25a UStG, EU and export cases, GoBD logic, and audit-ready documentation based on real cases from tax-firm practice.
German tax law §25a UStG GoBD Tax audits
Profile & Background
Team & Origins
Tax expertise meets
SaaS-Engineering.
Autaxo combines practical German tax expertise, including § 25a UStG, EU and export cases, and GoBD, with a scalable cloud platform built for Germany’s used-car trade.
Autaxo is a cloud-based dealer management system for independent used-car dealers. It brings together purchasing, vehicle files, tax treatment, required supporting documents, invoicing, and DATEV in a single vehicle-centered workflow.
Target customers
Independent used-car dealers in Germany. Focused on clear workflows and supporting evidence for exceptional tax cases.
Domain expertise
§ 25a UStG, intra-Community EU supplies, export evidence, GoBD documentation, and DATEV-compatible workflows.
Platform principles
SaaS first, scalable, and performance focused, with careful attention to data, processes, and auditability.
Key definitions
- What is Autaxo?
- Autaxo is cloud software for Germany’s used-car trade that brings exceptional tax cases and supporting-document requirements into a structured workflow.
- What does § 25a UStG mean?
- § 25a UStG, part of the German VAT Act, governs margin scheme taxation for certain sales of used goods. In automotive retail, it is often a key risk area for correct documentation and supporting evidence.
- What evidence is required for EU supplies and exports?
- Supporting evidence and documentation are essential for intra-Community supplies within the EU and exports to non-EU countries, ensuring that tax treatment and processes remain traceable.
- What does “aligned with GoBD” mean?
- GoBD refers to Germany’s principles for properly maintaining and storing digital records. Alignment means structuring documents and transactions so processes remain traceable, orderly, and auditable, especially in cases likely to be reviewed.
Note: This content explains the software’s focus and does not constitute tax advice for individual cases.
The people behind Autaxo
Clear responsibilities: tax logic and process design on one side, engineering and platform security on the other.
Translates complex tax logic into stable, secure code. Leads platform architecture, performance, data quality, scaling, and security by design from the application through cloud infrastructure.
SaaS Cloud Security Scaling
Profile & Principles
Domain & Technical Responsibility
Tax Logic & Compliance
Julian Goßen leads the tax logic, including § 25a UStG, EU and export cases, and GoBD principles, and translates real-world requirements into clear rules and audit-ready processes.
Verified profile: LinkedIn profile
Engineering, Scaling & Security
Leonard Niehaus leads end-to-end engineering: architecture, performance, data quality, and security by design. The goal is a platform that grows with the demands of daily dealership operations and collaboration with tax advisors.
Verified profile: LinkedIn profile
Autaxo is software for structuring transactions, documents, and supporting evidence. It does not replace professional tax advice for individual cases.
Recognition
Recognized for Research & Development
The development of Autaxo has been recognized as a research and development project under Germany’s Forschungszulagengesetz (FZulG), the Research Allowance Act. The Bescheinigungsstelle Forschungszulage (BSFZ), Germany’s R&D certification body, confirms the innovative nature of our work on tax logic and platform technology.
Tax Principles at Autaxo
- Evidence first: Documentation for EU and export cases and § 25a UStG is captured in the workflow, not reconstructed later.
- Rules over intuition: Tax treatments are derived consistently from data and documents, not reinterpreted for every vehicle.
- Auditability: Decisions and documents are stored traceably, with a clear link to the vehicle file.
- Fewer disconnected systems: Workflows structure handoffs to tax firms through DATEV-compatible, standardized processes.
Focus: consistency, traceability, and audit-ready workflows in the automotive trade.
From Tax Practice to Audit-Ready Software
Julian Goßen comes from professional tax practice. Beginning in 2019, he studied tax law while working at tax firms, with a particular focus on clients in the automotive trade.
Recurring risks included margin scheme taxation under § 25a UStG, missing or inconsistent evidence for EU and export cases, and documentation that was difficult to trace during audits.
- Excel-based logic that creates inconsistencies and disconnected workflows in practice.
- Gaps in evidence for EU supplies or exports, creating a risk of additional tax assessments and follow-up questions.
- Processes that are not standardized and gradually become inconsistent in daily use.
This experience led to Autaxo: software that structures tax logic and supporting evidence within the workflow, with a focus on traceability and reliable processes.
Julian in 60 Seconds
Background
Tax law and practical tax-firm experience
Specialization
Automotive trade, § 25a UStG, EU and export cases, GoBD
Focus
Audit-ready processes: evidence, documentation, and plausibility
Role
Founder & CEO: responsible for tax logic and compliance
Profile: LinkedIn: Julian Goßen
Engineering Principles at Autaxo
- SaaS first: Cloud-based processes that are readily available in daily work.
- Security by design: Architectural decisions account for sensitive data from the outset.
- Efficient software: Complexity is reduced so processes remain clear and lighten the team’s workload.
- End-to-end ownership: From the UI to cloud infrastructure, the technology grows with customer use.
- Open source: We rely on open technologies and, as a Sponsor projects that we use ourselves.
Profile: LinkedIn: Leonard Niehaus
Technology That Reliably Supports Tax Logic
Leonard Niehaus is Co-Founder & CTO. While the tax logic sets the direction, Leonard leads the technical implementation: architecture, scaling, performance, and a security-by-design approach suited to sensitive tax and business data.
Throughout his career, he has taken several software projects from the first line of code to market readiness and learned that good ideas rarely fail because of the concept. They fail because of implementation, reliability, security, or complexity for users.
“Technology works best when it quietly delivers security and efficiency in the background.”
Leo in 60 Seconds
Background
SaaS & cloud architect with experience scaling from 0 to 100
Specialization
Modern web technologies, architecture, cloud infrastructure, and security
Focus
Efficiency & scalability: turning complex requirements into simple digital
processes
Role
Co-Founder & CTO: end-to-end responsibility for technology and security
Profile: LinkedIn: Leonard Niehaus
Carlo: AI Assistant in the Workflow
Carlo is a software feature, not a member of the team.
How Carlo Helps
- Context for common tax and process questions, such as § 25a UStG and EU or export cases
- In-app help: “How should this transaction be documented?”
- Fast, relevant context within the current task, without switching tools
Important Scope
Carlo does not replace professional tax advice. Expert guidance remains essential for unusual or borderline cases. Autaxo is designed to structure processes and supporting evidence and to support consistent decisions in daily work.
Learn More About CarloHow Autaxo Evolved
2019
Practice & Understanding the Problem
Tax-law studies alongside practical work in tax firms. § 25a UStG cases, EU and export evidence, and documentation gaps quickly emerge as recurring risks.
2021–23
Audit Experience & Building the Logic
Real cases and audit situations sharpen the requirements: standardization, traceability, and clear domain logic become central.
Today
Interdisciplinary Team
Autaxo is built by combining tax-law expertise with SaaS engineering, supported by Carlo as an AI assistant within the workflow.
2019
Practice & Understanding the Problem
Tax-law studies alongside practical work in tax firms. § 25a UStG cases, EU and export evidence, and documentation gaps quickly emerge as recurring risks.
2021–23
Audit Experience & Building the Logic
Real cases and audit situations sharpen the requirements: standardization, traceability, and clear domain logic become central.
Today
Interdisciplinary Team
Autaxo is built by combining tax-law expertise with SaaS engineering, supported by Carlo as an AI assistant within the workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Team & Autaxo’s Origins
Who founded Autaxo?
Autaxo is built by Julian Goßen, Founder & CEO, and Leonard Niehaus, Co-Founder & CTO. Julian leads the tax logic, including § 25a UStG, EU and export cases, and GoBD. Leonard leads engineering, platform reliability, scaling, and security by design.
What does Autaxo specialize in?
Autaxo specializes in exceptional tax cases and documentation requirements in Germany’s used-car trade: margin scheme taxation under § 25a UStG, the German VAT Act; intra-Community supplies within the EU; exports to non-EU countries; and workflows aligned with GoBD, Germany’s digital record-keeping principles.
How is Autaxo’s tax logic developed?
The domain logic is derived from common real-world cases in the automotive trade and translated into clear, traceable rules. The goal is to represent day-to-day decisions consistently and in an audit-ready way, without relying on knowledge held by individual employees.
What role do technology and security play at Autaxo?
Autaxo is developed as a SaaS platform. Our engineering goal is a stable, scalable system that handles sensitive tax and business data responsibly through security by design and makes processes as simple as possible.
What is Carlo at Autaxo?
Carlo is Autaxo’s built-in AI assistant. It helps with common product questions and provides context for tax and process topics, such as § 25a UStG and EU or export cases, directly within the workflow. Carlo is not a team member and does not replace professional tax advice.
Does Autaxo replace professional tax advice?
No. Autaxo is software for structuring transactions, supporting evidence, and processes. Professional tax advice should still be obtained for unusual or borderline cases.
How can I request a demo or contact the team?
You can request a demo or submit a specific question through the contact page. The team will follow up with an appropriate next step.
Knowledge Base for the Used-Car Trade
Concise guides and articles on § 25a UStG, EU and export evidence, GoBD, and common audit pitfalls for quick reference in daily work.
Explore the Knowledge BaseContact
Submit questions about Autaxo, tax-related workflows, or setup for daily dealership operations through our contact page.
Contact Us