Microsoft 365 for Tax & Accounting — Zero-Knowledge Backup
Zero-knowledge Microsoft 365 backup and audit for tax advisors and auditors — Mandant data the vendor cannot read. § 203 StGB, GoBD and § 147 AO aware.
Frequently asked questions
Can a tax advisor use cloud Microsoft 365 backup under § 203 StGB?
The concern is a provider holding readable copies of Mandant data. GTools.pro avoids that: it is zero-knowledge (only ciphertext is stored, derived from your passphrase) and the Desktop edition keeps all data on the practice’s own machine. That keeps disclosed material inside the § 203 confidentiality boundary. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does GTools.pro support GoBD-compliant retention?
GTools.pro produces point-in-time exports to storage you control, giving you immutable, retrievable snapshots that support GoBD-style tamper-evident retention and the § 147 AO retention periods. The exports are the source of truth; restore/reapply is a manual operator action.
How does this fit a DATEV-based practice?
GTools.pro covers the Microsoft 365 side — Exchange, Teams chat, OneDrive, SharePoint backup, audit and migration. It is complementary to DATEV, not a replacement: it protects the M365 collaboration and mail data that sits alongside your DATEV bookkeeping.
Where is the backup stored?
Wherever you choose. On Desktop it is the practice machine or any local/SMB/S3 target; on Cloud it is a customer-selected region, ciphertext only.
Related topics
Steuerberater Microsoft 365 Backup
tax advisor M365 backup
GoBD Microsoft 365 backup
§ 203 StGB Steuerberater cloud
Wirtschaftsprüfer Microsoft 365
Why it matters for Steuerberater & Wirtschaftsprüfer
Microsoft 365 backup and audit for tax advisors and auditors — mandant data the vendor cannot read, GoBD-friendly point-in-time evidence.
Compliance drivers
§ 203 StGB (professional secrecy). Tax advisors and auditors are Berufsgeheimnisträger under § 203 StGB (and § 57 / § 62a StBerG); a plain Art. 28 GDPR DPA does not by itself discharge that duty, so a provider that structurally cannot read client (Mandant) data — needing no place in the confidentiality chain — keeps disclosed material inside the boundary. § 203 StGB — gesetze-im-internet.de
GoBD (retention + immutability). The GoBD require orderly, tamper-evident, retrievable retention of tax-relevant records; point-in-time exports you control give immutable, auditable snapshots. BMF — GoBD
§ 147 AO (retention periods). The Abgabenordnung sets statutory retention periods for books and records under § 147 AO; exports you control let you hold that evidence independently of a rolling vendor cloud. § 147 AO — gesetze-im-internet.de
Sector challenges and how GTools.pro answers them
A backup vendor holding readable copies of Mandant data is a direct § 203 concern. Zero-knowledge by default; the Desktop edition keeps every backup and export on the practice’s own workstation.
GoBD and § 147 AO demand tamper-evident retention over long periods. Point-in-time exports to storage you control, with per-export history — immutable snapshots you retain yourself.
Practice mergers and DATEV-adjacent M365 consolidations require clean tenant moves. Move performs Microsoft 365 → Microsoft 365 migration including Teams chat (one-time per-seat; checkout opening soon).
Backup (Desktop). Mandant data never leaves the practice’s workstation — the cleanest § 203 posture.
Watchtower (audit). Point-in-time access + oversharing evidence for engagement reviews — EUR 7 / user / year.
Limitations & out-of-scope — what GTools.pro is not for in Tax & Accounting
GTools.pro is an M365 administrator toolkit, not a bookkeeping, DATEV, or certified GoBD-archival system — it protects the Microsoft 365 data that sits alongside those systems. It does not provide tax or legal advice on your § 203 / GoBD obligations. Move handles Microsoft 365 → Microsoft 365 only; restore is a manual operator action from the exports.
This page is general information, not legal, tax, or regulatory advice.