Tax return: With these costs you get a lot of money back

It's time to get some money back from the tax office.

Most of all, whoever bills all expenses in a clever way, gets the most.

Here are the tips from Stiftung Warentest.

• Good advice is expensive when it comes to tax returns.

• The experts at Stiftung Warentest know what to do.

• Read her tips here.

Get as much money as possible with the tax return?

Now is the time to get your money back from the tax office *.

Most of all, whoever bills all expenses in a clever way, gets the most.

Tax return: craftsmen and household help

Gardeners, caregivers or electricians

- sometimes professionals are in demand at home. "20 percent of the costs directly reduce the tax liability. For tradesmen's bills (minus material) a tax bonus of a maximum of 1,200 euros is included," said the experts from Stiftung Warentest. "For services of mini-jobbers in the household, there is tax relief of up to 510 euros. For other help, regardless of whether it is employed with social security contributions or on account, up to 4,000 euros per year can be billed. A total of a maximum of 5,710 euros per year for household help Tax savings included. "

Craftsmen: "

Tenant or owner? It doesn't matter, both receive a tax discount if craftsmen repair, renovate, refurbish, maintain or modernize something in their house, on the property or in their apartment at their own expense *. They can invest 6,000 euros every year for the maximum tax bonus of 1,200 euros (20 percent). The invoice amount must be reduced by the material costs shown, they do not count.

Also read

Tax return: additional costs and maintenance costs

Don't forget additional costs

: "The bonus is also paid for the costs incurred in part for caretaker, gardening, cleaning the hallway, chimney sweep or maintenance Subsequent billing of expenses. The office has to change the tax assessment even after the objection period has expired (Finanzgericht Köln, Az. 11 K 1319/16). If that is too cumbersome for you, you can submit the billing in the year in which you receive it. Third parties Possibility: Prepare advance payments for regular services such as caretaker, gardening and cleaning in the year in which they are performed. "

Care and support

costs

"If there is a level of care or a doctor's prescription, the costs count as an exceptional burden and those affected have to bear part of it themselves. For this own contribution (reasonable burden), however, they can claim the tax reduction for household services. Services of a long-term care insurance The tax office is only allowed to deduct benefits in kind, not care allowance at all. "

Read here:

Tax return: journeys, home office, union and account

"If employees invest more than EUR 1,000 in their job, every EUR over this saves additional taxes".

say the experts.

"Many people already crack the limit with the costs of their daily trips to work. Even small amounts can be decisive in exceeding the flat rate."

Daily route:

Since 2021

the increased commuter flat rate applies.

Long-distance commuters then get more money back from the tax office for their commute.

Home office:

Thanks to the home office flat rate * of a maximum of 600 euros per year resolved by the Bundestag in 2020, employees in the home office should be relieved a little.

The idea: Anyone who has additional costs from working at home - for example higher electricity costs - should benefit from the flat rate.

Also read

Account management and union:

"The fees for the salary

can be divided into private and professional costs. However, the office also accepts a flat rate of 16 euros for each."

The tax office also recognizes membership fees to professional associations and unions as income-related expenses.

Find out here

Tax return: glasses, medication, braces

Private bills for treatments, co-payments, medicine, new glasses or eye surgery, braces for the children

- not all expenses are covered by the health insurance fund.

But, as stated by Stiftung Warentest: "All privately paid medications and treatments that were medically necessary and appropriate count towards the tax."

Knowing and cracking your own contribution

: "Depending on marital status and size, everyone has to bear part of their health costs themselves, which their health insurance does not cover. As soon as the limit is exceeded, however, they have a tax-reducing effect."

Medicines and bandages:

"All additional payments for prescription medication can be claimed, except for contraceptives. The receipt serves as proof. It contains a note if the pharmacy has withheld the prescription. Private patients report their costs by copying their prescriptions and invoicing the health insurance after. If the insurance company has only paid a cheaper product, the surcharge can be billed. "

Dentures:

"Braces for the children, inlays, crowns, implants - additional payments are often required and quickly get into the money. It is reassuring that the tax office usually waves through invoices. The bills are sufficient as evidence. Exception: teeth cleaning."

Hearing aids and other aids:

"There are additional payments for walking aids, hearing aids, wheelchairs or orthopedic shoes. Proof of purchase and regulation serve as proof. This also applies to the assembly of handrails or stairlifts (Federal Finance Court, Az. VI R 61/12)."

Read here

Tax return: childcare, school fees

Kita, Hort and Co

: "For children up to the age of 14, parents can submit bills of up to 6,000 euros for childcare, two thirds of which - a maximum of 4,000 euros - per year and child are recognized," writes Stiftung Warentest.

As with tradesman's invoices, the office only accepts amounts paid by direct debit or transfer. "

Grandma as babysitter

: "If parents hire grandma, grandpa or aunt to look after them, they can still report the expenses incurred to the tax office. For the tax bonus, however, the officials require an employment contract like 'common among strangers' and the transfer of wages. Cash payments accepted the office is not. In addition, the person who looks after the children is not allowed to live in the same household. " If there is family support free of charge, parents could at least reimburse grandma's travel expenses with a simple receipt and then settle them. "

School fees

: "If the children attended a private school or a privately owned school in 2019, for example because they should have a foreign language or religious focus in their education, parents may deduct up to 30 percent of the school fees as special expenses. Up to a maximum of 5,000 euros per year in here. The school fees paid by parents are entered in full. The tax office calculates the deductible part. "

Training

allowance

If you study or study and live away adult children, parents are entitled to a training allowance of 924 euros per year and child. They receive this as long as they receive child allowance for the offspring Year by 77 euros. If parents submit their tax return separately, they can split the training allowance among themselves in half. "

Single parents

: "Single

claim the tax return amount of 1,908 euros for the first child and 240 euros for each additional child for their children. The amount is granted to

if no other adult person lives in the same household. For everyone In the month in which the conditions are not met, the amount is reduced by one twelfth. Where the children actually live during the year does not matter.

Read here

Tax return: maintenance for close relatives

Stiftung Warentest advises: "Anyone who has close relatives in the past year, such as an adult child for whom there is no longer child benefit, or the ex-partner financially, can save taxes with these expenses." For 2019, EUR 168 more maintenance could be deducted than in the previous year. The maximum amount is 9,168 euros. In addition, the basic contributions to health and long-term care insurance that were taken on also counted. "

Income is offset against:

"Income of the recipient that is over 624 euros is deducted from the maintenance amount. All taxable income such as wages minus business expenses, unemployment benefits I and II, income from mini-jobs, parental and care benefits - but not child benefits are counted as income A lump sum of 180 euros may be deducted from the payments per year. Exception: training aids such as student loans. Anything over 180 euros reduces the deduction.

Maintenance for the ex-partner

: "Divorced people can deduct even more for maintenance payments. Up to 13,805 euros per year plus basic health and long-term care insurance contributions are included as special expenses. If the maintenance recipient has his own income, this is usually" real splitting " cheaper than the deduction as an extraordinary burden. The beneficiary must agree to the payments on Annex U and tax the maintenance. In return, the maintenance payer must compensate him for any financial disadvantage. "

The tip of the experts

: "Compare the possible tax savings before you decide on a type of deduction. Be aware of the possible financial disadvantage."

Read here

Tax return: PC, cell phone and office furniture

If you also need the PC you bought last year for your job, you can immediately sell such work equipment in full at a purchase price of up to 952 euros including VAT, advises Stiftung Warentest.

"This makes it easy to skip the € 1,000 flat rate for income-related expenses. Expenses for things that taxpayers use 90 percent for business can be included entirely as income-related expenses, including office furniture."

Some things are largely used privately.

"They still count as work equipment even if they are only half used professionally. However, only the professional cost portion can then be claimed in the tax return."

More expensive work equipment:

"Taxpayers have to distribute a purchase price over 952 euros evenly over the years of the expected useful life of the item. In the year of purchase, the costs are divided exactly to the month."  

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Tax return: church tax

"Depending on the state, church members have paid 8 or 9 percent of their wage and income tax in 2019," writes Stiftung Warentest. For employees, the employer withholds the church tax at the same time as the wage tax. Church members could deduct the church tax in their tax return - "minus the church tax, which was reimbursed in 2019".

Sometimes only on request

: "Depending on the federal state, the church tax may not amount to more than 2.75 to 4 percent of taxable income. Exception: Bavaria. Those who have jumped the limit can expect a reimbursement of the overpaid church tax from the tax office. In Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, this does not happen automatically, but has to be applied for. "

Church tax on investment income:

"Church members have to pay

on interest and dividends, in addition to withholding tax and solos. They cannot deduct this in the tax return. The financial institutions keep it automatically. Unless members have applied for a blocking notice from the Federal Central Tax Office . Then it will be fixed with the tax assessment. "

Deduction possible:

"If investment income is subject to the personal tax rate, church tax can count on this income as a special expense (Finanzgericht Düsseldorf, Az. 15 K 1640/16 E)."

Source: Stiftung Warentest, test.de

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List of rubric lists: © dpa / Monika Skolimowska