Home office flat rate of a maximum of 600 euros per year - but disappointment for many employees

The Bundestag decided on Wednesday evening a home office flat rate of a maximum of 600 euros per year.

But not everyone benefits from the tax break.

Update from December 17, 2020

: In the

Corona crisis

, many employees work from home.

Now it is more or less fixed: In future you should be able to claim your expenses more easily in your tax return.

The Bundestag decided on Wednesday evening a

home office *

flat rate

of a maximum of 600 euros per year

, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa).

It should apply to

tax returns

for

2020 and 2021

- after that, it is hoped that the corona pandemic could be under control and most of them could return to their jobs.

For the regulation to come into force, the Federal Council still has to give its approval on Friday.

As the report now specifically states,

five euros are credited to the tax calculation

per day at the home desk

, a maximum of 120 days per year

.

This amount is

deducted from taxable income, reducing the

amount of

taxes payable.

But not every employee benefits from it:

Because the

home office flat rate is one of the advertising expenses

, for which all taxpayers are

credited a

flat rate of 1,000 euros.

Only those who

spend more than 1,000 euros here

will benefit from the measure.

Also read

: Cold season and Corona: Can I go to work with a cold now?

Home office flat rate: Coalition sets final details for tax relief

Update from December 7, 2020:

In the case of the home office * flat rate, the Union and SPD have now agreed on the final details.

The tax lump sum should be

a maximum of 600 euros annually

, reports the

dpa.

A

few days ago, the SPD was still talking about 500 euros.

Also, another important point is now clear: The Home Office package is

included in the so-called related expenses

are

.

It is not granted additionally.

According to SPD parliamentary group vice-president Achim Post, employees who work in their own four walls can now more easily

claim

their

costs such as electricity, telephone and internet for

tax purposes.

But there is a catch: In reality, the tax relief will only benefit those who can claim income-related expenses of more than 1,000 euros a year in their tax return.

This would be conceivable, for example, through new work clothes, further training or a particularly long journey - the latter is no longer necessary at home at home.

Those who are below this limit will unfortunately not feel the tax relief.

The flat rate for advertising costs (also:

advertising costs

) of 1,000 euros is deducted from the employee's income when calculating the tax.

This reduces the tax burden.

Anyone who has more than 1,000 euros in advertising costs per year must claim this in the tax return.

Also read:

Home office: Can your boss control your working hours at home?

Home office flat rate: five euros per day for employees

Original message dated November 30, 2020:

During the corona pandemic, many employees are working from home *.

But this also increases their ancillary costs such as electricity and water.

In order to accommodate the employees and to relieve them financially, financial politicians of the grand coalition have now

agreed

on a

home office flat rate

.

This is reported by the German Press Agency (dpa), referring to a report by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ).

According to the FAZ, anyone who works from home should be able to

claim

a tax lump sum of

five euros per day from

the tax office.

But only up to a

maximum of 600 euros per year

.

"As the CSU, we want to relieve those who have achieved tremendous things from home during the pandemic," said the CSU financial politician Sebastian Brehm of the newspaper.

Also read:

Careers in the home office?

With this little habit you collect plus points from the boss.

Home office flat rate only planned as advertising expenses?

However, there is a catch: It is still unclear whether the home office flat rate in the tax return will be granted in addition to the employee flat rate of 1,000 euros.

In this case, employees would benefit directly, depending on the load.

However, if employees can

only claim them

as income-related expenses, only those employees would benefit who come up with income-related expenses of more than 1,000 euros in their tax return.

However, this is exactly what the Treasury Department seems to be planning.

"If the home office flat rate were granted independently, i.e. in addition to the flat rate for advertising expenses, this would be

excessive (and thus constitutionally dubious) benefit,"

the FAZ quotes from the concept.

(as) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen central editorial network.

More on the topic:

Home office with children: three tips on how you can still do your work.

Do you want to stay up to date with the latest career news?

 Then follow our industry page on the career portal Xing.