Status: 25.09.2023, 16:30 p.m.
By: Anne Hund
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The new month brings with it some legal measures and deadlines. What you should know about it now, from heating to tax returns.
Heating cost subsidy – note the deadline in October
Private households that heat with heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas, coal or wood have been able to apply for the federal government's so-called hardship aid for non-grid-bound energy sources retroactively for 8 since 2022 May. However, an important deadline is about to expire: applications must be submitted by October 20, 2023, as reported by the German Press Agency (dpa). "Applicants for a private household receive a maximum of 2,000 euros in support. The prerequisite, however, is that the relief is at least 100 euros," dpa had explained, among other things, to the possible relief for those affected.
Some of the innovations from October onwards will have a financial impact on many people. © Monika Skolimowska/dpa
Two gas levies drop to zero cents – relief from October?
According to calculations by the comparison portal Verivox, the planned reduction of two levies on natural gas can lead to relief for customers from this autumn – provided that the reductions are passed on by the suppliers. The reduction of the balancing energy levy on October 1 means a relief of 20 euros for 000,122 kilowatt hours of annual consumption, as Verivox had reported, according to dpa. In addition, there is a further reduction on the same date, which amounts to eight euros. However, the price reduction is not automatic, Verivox had emphasized in its announcement of August 23 – "Gas customers should therefore check their tariff," it said.
Meanwhile, the traffic light is reportedly still divided on gas VAT. "Finance Minister Lindner apparently wants to restore the VAT on gas to its original level," reported Tagesschau.de (as of 17 September) – which means that gas customers may have to adjust to higher prices again at the turn of the year, experts warn. However, nothing has been decided yet. The SPD rejects the idea of raising the VAT rate on gas back to 1 percent as early as January 2024, 19, as N-TV.de also reported on September 17.
Don't miss: You can find everything you need to know about money in the finance newsletter of our partner Merkur.de.
Tax return 2022 must be at the tax office at the beginning of October
If you have to file a tax return for 2022, you should not miss the deadline of October 2, 2023. Otherwise, there is a risk of a delay surcharge from the tax office. Stiftung Warentest gives tips on how to quickly file a tax return. By the way, if you prefer to have your tax return done by an income tax assistance association - or even by a tax advisor - you still have until July 2022, 31 to submit your 2024 tax return.
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A voluntary submission of the tax return can also be worthwhile – in many cases, according to Stiftung Warentest, there is money back. For example, taxpayers can claim part of the cost of childcare for tax purposes, or expenses for gardening or craftsmen's services, for example. Medical expenses can also be partially taken into account for tax purposes.
