Haufe Group SE is a German media and software company based in Freiburg im Breisgau. Its main businesses include software company Lexware and professional training provider Haufe Akademie. The group offers information services and training for accounting, payroll, taxation and human resources.
History The company was founded by Rudolf Haufe in Berlin in 1934 and moved to Freiburg in 1951. The publisher specialized in information on taxation, law, accounting and human resources.
Haufe Akademie began in 1978 as the group's seminar programme, initially offering training in law, business and taxation.
In 1993, Haufe acquired a majority stake in Lexware, a Freiburg-based developer of business software for small and medium-sized companies.
In January 2010, Haufe, Lexware, Haufe Fachmedia and wrs-Verlag were brought together under Haufe-Lexware GmbH & Co. KG.
During the 2010s, software and online services became the main focus of the group. In 2014, digital products accounted for 95% of the group's revenue.
Business Haufe provides software for areas such as human resources, taxation, accounting and employment law. Its professional information products include Haufe Personal Office for human resources, Haufe Steuer Office for tax professionals and Haufe Finance Office for finance and accounting. Haufe X360 is the group's cloud-based enterprise resource planning system.
Lexware develops accounting, payroll and tax software for small businesses and the self-employed. The group also owns smartsteuer, an online service for submitting German tax returns.
Haufe Akademie runs seminars and online courses on accounting, human resources and management. The group also publishes specialist books and journals. Haufe placed first in Börsenblatt's 2026 ranking of publishing companies in the German-speaking market, based on 2025 revenue.
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