Is ELSTER Down? Live status & outage reports

Service info and troubleshooting

Certificate file won't load in browser

Your digital certificate might be corrupted or stored incorrectly. Download a fresh copy from the official portal and import it again through your browser settings. For Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Certificates > View Certificates. In Chrome, navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Security > Manage Certificates. Make sure the file format matches your browser requirements - typically .pfx or .p12 files work across most platforms.

Authentication fails repeatedly at login

• Clear your browser cache and cookies completely before attempting to log in again
• Verify that your certificate hasn't expired - check the validity period in your certificate details
• Ensure JavaScript is enabled in your browser settings
• Try using a different browser - some users report better compatibility with Firefox or Edge
• Check if your system date and time are set correctly, as certificate validation depends on accurate timestamps

Form submission times out midway

Large tax declarations can fail when your connection drops during upload. Save your progress frequently using the draft function. If the timeout persists, try submitting during off-peak hours - early mornings or late evenings typically see less server load. Break down complex submissions into smaller sections when possible. A stable wired connection works better than Wi-Fi for lengthy forms.

PDF attachments fail to upload

The system accepts files up to 10 MB, but connection quality matters more than size limits. Compress your PDFs before uploading - tools like Adobe Acrobat or free online compressors reduce file size without losing readability. Avoid special characters in filenames. If uploads still fail, switch to a different network or restart your router to refresh the connection.

Page freezes during data entry

Browser extensions can interfere with form validation scripts. Disable ad blockers and privacy tools temporarily. If freezing continues, switch to the ElsterFormular desktop application - it handles complex returns more reliably than the web interface and saves data locally, protecting against connection issues.