Coding Partners, a dynamic software development consultancy, helps startups and scaleups move faster by embedding skilled engineering teams into their projects. Their business was booming, fueled by client demand and a growing reputation in the European tech scene.
But behind the scenes, the founders faced a challenge all too familiar to fast-moving tech businesses: while they excelled at solving complex technical problems for clients, they struggled to keep up with the complexities of tax compliance, filings, and multi-entity administration. As one founder put it, “We’re great at building software — not at dealing with tax forms.”
Challenge
Coding Partners is a fast-growing software development consultancy helping startups ship products faster with embedded engineering teams. Like many founder-led businesses, they were laser-focused on clients, delivery, and growth.
But tax? Not so much.
- The founders lacked tax experience. One founder openly admitted, “I’ve never dealt with taxes at this level. It’s just not my world.”
- The co-founder was overloaded operationally. He famously said, “I don’t care about tax until I get the yellow letter from the Finanzamt.”
- Things were reactive, not planned. Filings happened last-minute. Documents were scattered across inboxes, Dropbox folders, and various Steuerberater.
- Constant uncertainty. They never knew what was filed, what was pending, or what might trigger an expensive correction or fine.
- Stress during funding talks. As Coding Partners began conversations with investors, they realized they couldn’t confidently answer questions about tax liabilities across entities or show unified financial records.
In short: tax felt like a black box nobody wanted to open until the authorities forced their hand.
Solution
Taxendo stepped in to transform tax from a lurking fear into a calm, manageable process — without overwhelming the busy founders.
1. A Founder-Friendly Dashboard
Instead of forcing the founders to learn tax jargon, Taxendo built a simple interface:
- A list of upcoming tasks and deadlines
- Visual status indicators: green (done), yellow (needs review), red (urgent)
- Easy document upload and storage for each entity
This let Coding Partners see, in seconds, what was handled and what wasn’t — without having to “deal with tax” every day.
2. Proactive Communication
Taxendo flipped the usual relationship:
- Instead of waiting for Coding Partners to remember tax deadlines, Taxendo proactively messaged them.
- Short, clear Slack messages replaced long emails
- Approvals happened via Docusign in a few clicks, without PDFs to print or scan.
3. Clean-Up and Standardization
Taxendo consolidated messy records from multiple Steuerberater and filings into:
- One place for all documents
- Standardized naming and filing systems
- Consistent monthly snapshots summarizing filings, liabilities, and open issues
4. “Yellow Letter Prevention”
Most importantly, Taxendo made it their mission to prevent surprises:
- Early alerts for missing documents.
- Flagging unusual transactions.
- Filing well before deadlines to avoid fines.
- This turned tax into a proactive part of Coding Partners’ operations rather than a last-minute panic.
Results
After partnering with Taxendo, Coding Partners saw dramatic improvements:
- Zero “yellow letters.” No scary letters from the Finanzamt arrived — filings were submitted on time and correctly.
- 3+ hours/week saved. Founders and the ops team regained time previously lost to chasing advisors and clarifying filings.
- One source of truth. Instead of fragmented communication, all tax data lived in one organized workspace.
- Reduced anxiety. The founders felt confident talking to investors, knowing tax was under control.
- Tax became predictable. Rather than fearing surprise bills or fines, Coding Partners knew their tax situation month-to-month.
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