Tax savings of up to 1,200 euros per year: which craftsman costs you can deduct

Created: 01/27/2022, 08:43

By: Anne Hund

The tax office makes sure that the bill is not paid in cash, but that the money was transferred.

© Hans-Jürgen Wiedl/dpa (symbol image)

If craftsmen take on work in your own home, such as roof renovation, painting or furniture assembly, part of the costs can be deducted from the tax burden.

Regardless of whether you are the owner or the tenant: Both receive a tax rebate if craftsmen repair, renovate, refurbish, maintain or modernize something in their apartment, house or on their property at their own expense.

This is what the experts at Stiftung Warentest refer to.

"If

such as roof or asbestos removal, painting or assembly work or furniture assembly in your condominium, your own home or property ,

you can deduct 20 percent of the labor costs as well as travel costs and consumables directly from your tax burden," says an article on Test

.

“You are allowed

settle up.

This results in a maximum tax saving of 1,200 euros per year.” The tax office promotes “a lot of services”.

According to

, the following are favored, for example:

• Labor costs for connecting a house to the supply and disposal networks

• Measurements and repairs to gas boilers, oil heating, wood-burning stoves or chimneys

• the first acceptance of a fireplace by the craftsman

• testing the seals of sewer pipes

• the routine maintenance of elevators or lightning protection systems.

In the last three examples mentioned, it is even possible to deduct the

times, according to the article.

Report the work of craftsmen in the tax return

"For household and garden help, care and support services and craftsmen, you can settle

as well as

VAT," as

further informs.

"Expenditure on consumables such as grit, cleaning agents and lubricants also counts."

Basically, the

must be reduced by the material costs, because

there

According to the experts, the tax office also meticulously ensures that the bill is not paid in cash, but that the money was transferred.

Incidentally, from a tax point of view, the

 in which the 

*.

In the

, you state the craftsman costs in the appendix "

", as Wirtschaftswoche also describes - so that the tax office also recognizes them.

The service will then be deducted from the income tax that is determined in the tax assessment as a calculated tax credit, as the report on

goes on to say.

"For this, the labor costs of the craftsman must be shown separately on the invoice.

If there are no material costs for maintenance work, the invoice without itemization is sufficient.”

Also interesting

Tip for the tax return: Don't forget the additional costs

Some craftsman costs can also be part of the

, for example when it comes to the

or

. If the tenant also pays for the craftsman's service through the ancillary costs bill, according to the information in the Wirtschaftswoche article, he can also claim 20 percent of the craftsman's costs in the tax return. "For this, the craftsman costs should definitely be listed in the utility bill,"

reported

"If this is not the case, tenants should ask the landlord about the craftsman's work and the invoice so that they can be included in the tax return."

For further reading:

Does the craftsmen's invoice meet all the requirements for the tax?

According to

, if craftsmen are commissioned via an

the

must also meet the following requirements: “It must contain information about the customer and the service provider.

must be shown,” reports the portal.

The invoice must also state

.

"In addition, the content of the service and the invoice amount for it should be divided according to working time and material." The invoice must also have been paid by bank transfer here.

The tax office does not accept cash payments.