Kurzfassung
Steffen & Partner has been named Top-Steuerberater 2026 by Focus-Money — the 17th consecutive recognition in the large-firms segment.
2026: The shoebox has finally had its day
FOCUS MONEY has put tax firms across Germany to the test for the 21st time — and once again named the Steffen & Partner Group a top tax advisor in the segment of large firms (issue 24/2026). It is the 17th consecutive recognition.
The leitmotif of this year's test is the final farewell to the proverbial shoebox full of fuel receipts: the editors describe an industry in the midst of its "greatest metamorphosis" — the tax advisor of 2026 is no longer a data administrator but a data interpreter. 99.5 per cent of the top firms tested use AI for research, and more than 90 per cent use it in accounting. A development we recognise ourselves in — see Systems & Interfaces for how we work digitally with our clients.
The test was based on an extensive questionnaire covering firm structure, specialisation, continuing education, people management, and AI and digitalisation. In addition, tax auditors posed 22 tricky technical questions that account for 60 per cent of the overall result. Firms were assessed in three size categories — Steffen & Partner competed in the most demanding category of large firms (30 or more staff), the one in which the biggest names in the industry are also listed. In total, FOCUS MONEY names 360 top firms across Germany.
As with every award: we are delighted — but the benchmark is set by our clients. An overview of all awards can be found under Awards.
From the archive: the 2013 recognition
The Steffen & Partner Group was named the only Top Tax Advisor 2013 in the western Münsterland region — in the issue of "Focus-Money" published on 6 February 2013. The award had first been conferred on the group back in 2009.
Assessed for the first time among the large firms
Unlike in 2009, Steffen & Partner has, thanks to its focused specialisation and growth strategy, since been assessed as a large firm with more demanding requirements. This category included, among others, KPMG (Berlin) and BDO (Hamburg), which rank among the largest auditing and tax advisory firms in the country.
Prof. Peter Lüdemann, academic director of the European Institute for Tax Law AG and head of the Focus-Money survey, summarised the findings: "Large firms perform better than mid-sized ones, and mid-sized firms perform better than small ones." Tax law is highly complex, the legal framework is in constant flux, and a wide range of information influences advisory work. Larger firms simply have more resources to engage with these issues (cf. Martina Simon, "Bestens Beraten", Focus-Money 07/2013, p. 68 ff).
Voices from the firm
This award is a modest confirmation that our strategic direction is working. Only if we specialise to such a degree that we can advise our clients reliably and competently, even on matters that are not part of daily routine, do we have a real reason to exist. Whether we truly deliver top performance is something only our clients can decide.
— Georg Steffen, founder and partner
The test questions were genuinely demanding, and we were not at all certain about our standing, especially in the difficult "large firms" category. That makes us all the more pleased about the recognition. For us, it is a signal to go one step further.
— Anke Büker, partner
Accordingly, Steffen & Partner launched a further training and qualification initiative for staff and partners in 2013; Anke Büker herself went on to complete the certified advisor qualification for business succession.