The “Lohnsteuerkarte” tax card was disposed at the beginning of 2013 and replaced by the “ElektronischeLohnsteuerAbzugsMerkmale” (ELStAM). ELStAM contains information whether you are married, what tax class you are in, whether you have children and whether you are paying church tax. Each employer has monthly access to this information to be able to work out…
We have tried our very best to find as many useful links in the English language as possible. Unfortunately the majority of links are still in German. We felt these links can still be of value to you, as knowing where to find the information you were looking for is half the battle. Hopefully you have…
There are some expenses in your private household, which could qualify for a tax benefit. You would have to pay someone for taking over jobs in your private household, which are very typical and normally done by yourself or a member of your family.
Children up to the age of 18 qualify for Kindergeld. Are your children still in education, they even qualify longer up to the age of 25. Currently the monthly payments are 255 € for each child. Do you already receive child benefits from another country and the amounts are smaller? In this case you would…
The German state participates on a multilateral agreement with more than 90 states worldwide to exchange financial account information. This information will include your personal details as well as deposits on your bank accounts and investment income. With this information the German state has the possibility to check, if you declared your investment income in…
Germany has concluded Double Taxation Agreements with most countries around the world (www.bundesfinanzministerium.de ). These Double Taxation Agreements determine which country has the right to levy tax on your income. These are the rules to make sure you are not taxed twice on the same income by providing a system of tax exemptions or tax credits…
Is Foreign Income Taxed in Germany? If you live and work in Germany you are usually taxable in Germany on your foreign income worldwide. All your income needs to be reported to the German authorities. If you have income outside of Germany the Double Taxation Treaty between Germany and the country where your income comes from…
For tax purposes, nationality is only a relevant factor in very rare cases. Many tax benefits available to German nationals are equally available to EU nationals, but not in all cases to non-EU nationals. There is no specific “Expat Tax Status” in Germany like you find in some other jurisdictions. In other words: As an…
Can I Submit Forms Online? You can submit your German tax forms online at https://www.elster.de/eportal/start You need to make sure to download (for free) the most current version of the tax software onto your system. Alternatively you can also get the required software (for free) on CD-ROM from your local Finanzamt. How can I Identify my Local…
How Does Renting Out a Home Overseas Affect My German Taxes? For German tax purposes the income from a foreign rental property is calculated according to German tax rules. Under German tax rules you can offset interest payments on a mortgage, a 2% annual depreciation on the purchase price of the building and any other…