The accountant portal for
payroll preparation
Shiftdesk connects companies and accounting firms for digital payroll preparation: the business closes the month, the tax advisor or payroll office reviews the data in the portal and exports it in DATEV-compatible formats. No spreadsheets, no email attachments.
DATEV export ready
The Shiftdesk firm directory
Find tax firms and payroll offices familiar with shift-based businesses and digital payroll processes – or make your own firm visible.
Free listing after review.
How the monthly handover works
Three steps instead of paperwork: from the month-end close in the business to a ready-to-import file for payroll.
- 1
The company closes the month
Working hours, surcharges and absences are already tracked in Shiftdesk. The month-end close locks the data in place.
- 2
The accountant is notified
The tax advisor or payroll office automatically receives an email and reviews the monthly data directly in the accountant portal.
- 3
Export for payroll
The firm downloads the data itself: as CSV, an Excel audit file or a DATEV-compatible transfer file for LODAS or Lohn und Gehalt.
For tax advisors and payroll offices
All clients using Shiftdesk in one portal: verified monthly data instead of spreadsheet attachments, queries and paperwork.
All clients under one login
The client list shows every business that has granted you access, including the status of its month-end close.
Structured monthly statement
Actual hours, hour accounts, night, Sunday and public-holiday surcharges, absence days and wage types per employee, ready to review.
Fewer queries about hours and surcharges
Instead of missing timesheets and unclear spreadsheet columns: structured data with review hints, straight from the client's time tracking.
Free access
The advisor account costs nothing and does not use a licence seat. Your client simply invites you by email.
An optional benefit for clients
If desired, Shiftdesk can configure an individual discount code for your clients. Terms are agreed case by case.
For companies: invite your accountant instead of sending files
Spreadsheet exports, PDF attachments and email ping-pong with your tax office every month? Invite your accounting firm directly into Shiftdesk and provide the monthly data centrally.
Invite your firm by email
Send the invitation, the firm confirms, done. Your tax advisor or payroll office does not need its own Shiftdesk subscription.
Provide monthly data centrally
Working hours, absences, surcharges and hour accounts live in the portal in a structured form instead of spreadsheets and mail attachments.
Month-end close with notification
As soon as you close the month, your accounting firm is informed automatically and can review and export.
Full control over access
The access log shows you every view and every export by your firm, and you can revoke access instantly at any time.
Already a Shiftdesk customer? You will find the invitation in your dashboard under Settings in the tax advisor section: go to advisor management
Exports for DATEV and Excel
The firm exports exactly what it needs for payroll. Every file is a structured transfer file for import into the payroll system.
DATEV LODAS
Transfer file for import into DATEV LODAS, built to the official interface manual.
DATEV Lohn und Gehalt
Export file for DATEV Lohn und Gehalt, using the wage types and cost centres from the configured mapping.
Excel audit file
Three sheets in one file: summary, per-employee detail and DATEV posting lines for cross-checking.
CSV
Flexible format for other payroll systems and custom analyses.
These reports are also available to the firm:
Shiftdesk does not run payroll and does not replace tax advice. The accountant portal supports the preparation, structuring and handover of payroll-relevant data. Review and payroll itself remain with the accounting firm or payroll office.
Security and control
HR data deserves special protection. That is why the accountant portal is restrictive by design.
Protected source data
Working hours, absences and master data are read-only for accounting firms. Approved handover settings and DATEV transfers are separate, purpose-bound and audited.
Complete access log
Every view and every export is logged and visible to the company. Retention: 3 years.
Two-factor authentication
Advisor logins support 2FA and follow the same security rules as every other Shiftdesk account.
Instant revocation
The company can revoke advisor access at any time with immediate effect.
Data minimisation
Reports contain payroll-relevant columns only. Free-text notes and sensitive details stay out.
Audited settings
If the firm changes the wage-type mapping, cost centres or export format, every change is logged traceably.
Firm directory: find accountants who know Shiftdesk
The directory lists participating tax firms and payroll offices with industry focus on shift-based businesses. Listing is voluntary, free after review and published only after the firm's opt-in.
Are you a tax advisor or do you run a payroll office and want to be listed in the Shiftdesk firm directory? List your firm
Frequently asked questions about the accountant portal
For accounting firms and payroll offices
Does my firm have to buy Shiftdesk?
No. The advisor account is free and does not use a licence seat. The only requirement is that your client uses Shiftdesk on the Pro or Enterprise plan (or is in the trial phase) and invites you.
How do I get access to client data?
Your client invites you by email from their Shiftdesk settings in the tax advisor section. You confirm the invitation, create your advisor login once, and the client then appears in your client list.
Which data do I see?
Per client, the prepared monthly statement with actual hours, hour accounts, surcharges, absence days, wage types, cost centres and mini-job flags, plus the reports payroll journal, hour accounts, surcharges, absences and vacation overview. Free-text notes and sensitive details are always excluded.
Can I manage several clients?
Yes. All clients who have invited you appear in a single client list under one login.
Are there DATEV exports?
Yes. You can export DATEV-compatible transfer files for LODAS and Lohn und Gehalt, plus CSV and an Excel audit file. For approved payroll months, a configured DATEV connection can alternatively transfer the data directly to the DATEV Lohnimportdatenservice.
Is access read-only?
Operational source data is read-only: you cannot change working hours, absences or master data. Explicitly approved handover functions—such as wage-type mapping, cost centres, export format and DATEV transfer—are purpose-bound and logged.
How do I get listed in the firm directory?
Use the dedicated listing page to submit your firm details. Shiftdesk reviews the application and then the final profile content; the firm appears publicly only after your opt-in and approval.
For companies
Can I invite my existing tax firm?
Yes. You invite your firm or payroll office by email. Once confirmed, it sees your released monthly data in the accountant portal.
Does my firm already have to use Shiftdesk?
No. Your firm needs neither a subscription nor prior knowledge. When accepting your invitation it simply creates a free account.
Which data can my firm see?
Only payroll-relevant monthly data and reports: working hours, hour accounts, surcharges, absence days, vacation accounts, wage types and cost centres. Free-text notes are excluded, and every view appears in your access log.
Do I still have to send files every month?
No. You close the month in Shiftdesk, your firm is notified automatically and exports the data itself in the format it needs.
Can I remove access again?
Yes, at any time and with immediate effect. The access log also shows you retroactively which data your firm viewed and exported.
Which plan includes the accountant portal?
The Pro and Enterprise plans, plus the free trial phase. Access is always free for your accounting firm.
Does Shiftdesk help with payroll?
Shiftdesk supports the preparation: it structures working hours, surcharges and absences and hands them over as clean export files. Payroll itself and tax advice remain with your accounting firm or payroll office.
Month-end close without email ping-pong
Try Shiftdesk free for 14 days or let us show you the accountant portal in a personal demo.