LEXinform

LEXinform is a research database for current tax and business information used in professional advisory work. Its classic collection includes tax laws, administrative guidance, case law, pending proceedings, EU law, practical tools, and other tax materials. Comfort expands coverage to personnel management, commercial and civil law, EU law, and business administration. Cross-content search returns targeted results sorted by relevance. The DATEV Wissensplattform can search LEXinform and databases from NWB and Haufe in one query. LEXinform plus includes LEXchat, an AI-assisted research feature spanning LEXinform comfort and DATEV Verlagsmedien comfort, with answers that refer to their sources. DATEV says about 300,000 of roughly 600,000 documents are currently available to LEXchat. Users are instructed to check AI output for suitability, accuracy, and completeness, and not to enter sensitive or protected information. Protected documents require DATEV SmartLogin or DATEV mIDentity/SmartCard. LEXinform comfort works online on smartphones and tablets. A DATEV Basis-Angebot add-on starts at €14.80/mo; other listed plan prices are not shown.

LEXinform offers tax research with broader business coverage in comfort, plus cross-database search and an AI-assisted option. Users should account for protected-document sign-in requirements and review LEXchat output carefully.

LEXinform is suited to professional advisers researching tax and business topics. Its comfort coverage and cross-database search may also suit users seeking legal, personnel, or business-administration information.

LEXinform is a professional research database for tax and related business questions. It suits advisers whose work already runs through DATEV and who need more than a tax-law reference. Its breadth and cross-database search are useful; DATEV sign-in for protected documents and partial LEXchat coverage shape the choice.

Overview

LEXinform classic brings tax laws, administrative guidance, case law, pending proceedings, EU law, practical tools and other tax materials into one research collection. Comfort extends that coverage to personnel management, commercial and civil law, EU law and business administration. For tax-only research, classic is the narrower fit; advisers handling business questions alongside tax work have a stronger reason to choose comfort.

Cross-content search sorts targeted results by relevance. In the DATEV Wissensplattform, a single query can search LEXinform alongside partner databases from NWB and Haufe, which is useful when an answer may sit across multiple reference collections. Protected documents require DATEV SmartLogin or DATEV mIDentity/SmartCard. That access requirement makes LEXinform less convenient for professionals who cannot use DATEV authentication.

Key features

Search and research coverage

The combination of current tax material, case law and pending proceedings gives advisers a broad base for legal and administrative research. Comfort adds business and employment topics, reducing the need to leave the database when a client question crosses into those areas. Comfort can be used online on smartphones and tablets as well as in the user's usual DATEV environment, so mobile access is available without changing the product's DATEV-centered workflow.

LEXchat

LEXinform plus adds AI-assisted research across LEXinform comfort and DATEV Verlagsmedien comfort, with answers that reference the sources used. That gives users a route to inspect supporting material, but the feature does not cover the full collection: about 300,000 of roughly 600,000 documents are currently available to LEXchat. DATEV directs users to check generated answers for suitability, accuracy and completeness, and warns against entering personal, professionally protected or other particularly sensitive data. LEXchat can speed an initial search, but it should not replace review of the cited sources or careful data handling.

Pricing

The pricing model is freemium. DATEV Basis-Angebot users can add LEXinform comfort for €14.80 per month, billed monthly; LEXinform classic is included with that basis offer. This is the clearest stated price and makes the add-on relevant to existing Basis-Angebot users who want comfort's broader coverage.

LEXinform comfort and LEXinform classic have custom pricing. LEXinform plus also has custom pricing, requires LEXinform comfort, and includes LEXchat and DATEV Verlagsmedien comfort. A 50% discount applies for 2026. The published plan terms do not give a seat count, usage quota or trial length, so the fit of plus depends on its custom quote as well as the value of its added research sources and AI assistance. LEXinform plus is not approved for DATEV education partners, and learners cannot use it on education partnership platforms.

Platforms

LEXinform is available on the web, Android, iOS and Windows. Comfort also works online on smartphones and tablets and in the user's usual DATEV environment. Platform support is broad, though access to protected documents still depends on DATEV credentials.

Who it's for

LEXinform is strongest for professional advisers who already use DATEV and want tax research connected to business, personnel and legal topics. Comfort is the more suitable tier when research extends beyond tax; classic suits a narrower tax-law focus. LEXchat may appeal to users who want AI-assisted discovery with source references, provided they can review the output and keep sensitive information out of prompts. Professionals who need a stand-alone database without DATEV authentication should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Classic combines tax legislation, guidance, case law, pending proceedings and practical tools, supporting a range of advisory research in one collection.
• Pro: Comfort adds personnel, commercial and civil law, and business administration, broadening its usefulness for client work beyond tax.
• Pro: Search through the DATEV Wissensplattform can include NWB and Haufe partner databases in one query.
• Con: Protected documents require SmartLogin or mIDentity/SmartCard, limiting access for advisers without DATEV authentication.
• Con: LEXchat covers about half of the roughly 600,000 documents and its answers require accuracy and completeness checks.
• Con: Comfort, classic and plus have custom pricing, making the paid commitment harder to judge from the stated €14.80 Basis-Angebot add-on alone.

Alternatives

Browse the wider Tax Research Software category if DATEV authentication or its research scope does not match your practice.

• FinRace AI is another freemium option, with a free plan and support for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows.
• Taxmann.com Research is worth considering for readers seeking a paid research service with a free trial and Android, iOS and web access.
• TaxGPT is a paid, trial-eligible option for readers who want to compare another tax-focused service across web, mobile, desktop and browser extension platforms.
• Lexis+ may suit organizations seeking a paid research subscription with a free trial, where pricing varies by organization, content, tools, practice areas, jurisdictions and user count.
• TaxPlead offers a free web plan with daily AI-token and research-task limits, a fit for readers who want a no-cost starting point.
• Instead offers a free platform plan with unlimited users, entities and e-file and print file, for readers comparing entity-focused software.
• Bizora AI offers a prepaid research API at $0.24 per request, with no monthly minimum or contract, for readers who need individual research queries through an API.
• Croner-i Tax is another tax research option, with package pricing available on request.

Verdict

Choose LEXinform if you are a DATEV-using adviser who needs dependable breadth across tax and adjacent business topics, especially if one search across LEXinform, NWB and Haufe would simplify your workflow. The main reason to choose another service is the DATEV sign-in barrier for protected documents; treat LEXchat as a supported research aid, not a final authority, and weigh its partial document coverage against the custom price of plus.