As of: March 13, 2024, 4:00 p.m
By: Anne Hund
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Anyone who completes the return for the 2023 tax year should not forget anything.
Tips on which expenses you can deduct from your taxes.
1 / 10With the commuter allowance, working people can deduct the costs of commuting to work from their taxes.
For the first 20 kilometers of the one-way journey between home and work, you receive 30 cents per kilometer in tax relief from the state, informed ADAC.de (as of January 10, 2024).
Working people who have to travel longer distances in their car can claim more travel expenses.
From the 21st kilometer onwards, the commuter flat rate has been 38 cents per kilometer since 2022.
(Symbolic image) © IMAGO/Steinach
2 / 10 However, the distance allowance only has a tax impact if the total expenses for the commute exceed the flat rate for business expenses for all professional expenses, according to ADAC.de.
You should know that the flat rate for business expenses for the 2023 tax year has been increased to 1,230 euros (from previously 1,200 euros).
Advertising costs also include costs for work equipment, work materials or training.
(Symbolic image) © Westend61/Imago
3 / 10Home office employees who file their tax return for 2023 should also think about the home office flat rate.
Since January 1, 2023, 6 euros can be charged for every day in the home office, as the Bavarian Income Tax Aid informed.
In addition, up to 210 days working from home have been recognized for tax purposes.
This means that a maximum of 1,260 euros can be claimed for tax purposes.
However, the home office flat rate is also part of the advertising costs.
The flat rate only has a meaningful effect if the flat rate for advertising costs has been exceeded.
(Symbolic image) © Westend61/Imago
4 / 10If tenants have commissioned a professional to do certain craft work, 20 percent of the labor costs as well as travel costs and consumables may be deducted from their tax burden.
The maximum limit for craftsman services is 6,000 euros per year, as Stiftung Warentest reported on Test.de.
In total, you could save up to 1,200 euros.
It is important for the bonus that the services are not paid for in cash and that the company shows all costs individually on the invoice.
But: According to Stiftung Warentest, measures on new buildings, for example, cannot be deducted as tradesman services.
In principle, the following also applies: The invoice amount must be reduced by the material costs, because there is no tax discount for the material costs.
(Symbolic image) © Martin Wagner/Imago
5 / 10Many tenants fear the annual utility bill because it can be associated with an additional payment.
But in many cases you can get something out of it from a tax perspective.
“Unfortunately, consumption-related costs such as gas, water and electricity cannot be deducted from taxes,” as the Bavarian Income Tax Aid informed in a statement.
But there are numerous other additional housing costs that tenants and owners alike can share with the tax office.
That's why it's worth taking a close look at the utility bill and allocating individual amounts to household-related services or tradesmen's services.
(Symbolic image) © AntonioGuillem/Panthermedia/Imago
6 / 10 The tax office also waives taxpayers 20 percent of the costs for regular household or garden activities if there is an employment contract with the helpers, “Finanztest” informs in the article on Test.de with a view to the declaration for the tax year 2023. Here It is important whether the employment is a mini-job (2023: up to 520 euros per month) or not.
“If so, a maximum of 2,550 euros of the annual costs are tax-deferred - even exceptionally for cash payments.
So there is a total saving of 510 euros,” the article says.
(Symbolic image) © Image Source/Imago
7 / 10In many cases, however, this is employment subject to social insurance contributions.
“If someone does work for you in your private household, then you can usually enter 20 percent of each invoice in your tax return,” as the United Wage Tax Assistance has informed on its website.
“However, you are only allowed to claim a maximum of 4,000 euros per year for tax purposes as household-related services.” Important: The tasks must have a “household-related character” and be performed in the household or on the property.
“This includes, for example, caretaker services, care services or nursing services, and of course the cleaning work of a cleaning lady or man.” (Symbolic image) © gopix/Zoonar.com/Imago
8 / 10Parents have been receiving 250 euros in child benefit per month for each child since the beginning of 2023.
If you earn a lot, the tax relief through the child allowance can also be used in the annual statement instead, explains Stiftung Warentest on Test.de.
“Since last year, this has been 4,476 euros per child and parent (8,952 euros for both parents),” says the note for the 2023 tax year. As of January 1, 2024, the tax-free amount was also increased to 6,384 euros.
(Symbolic image) © Andreas Gora/Imago
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9 / 10Either parents automatically receive child benefit or the allowances for children when it comes to income tax.
The tax office checks what is more advantageous for you.
Parents do not have to take action themselves here.
As a rule, they would be entitled to the allowances at least until the child comes of age, explains “Finanzest” on Test.de.
“If your child is doing initial vocational training or studying, the entitlement continues as long as the child is still under 25.” The same applies to transitional periods: for example, if the daughter is demonstrably still looking for a place at university after graduating from school or because of a long-term illness could only start training later.
(Symbolic image) © Michael Gstettenbauer/Imago
10 / 10 “Investors will have to pay less taxes on capital gains in 2023 because the savings allowance has been increased from 801 to 1,000 euros per person (2,000 euros for joint assessment),” Test.de also informed with a view to the 2023 tax return. Only if interest, dividends or profits from securities sales exceed this amount, “25 percent withholding tax plus solidarity surcharge and, if applicable, church tax” would be due.
According to the article, the experts at Stiftung Warentest have the following tip: “If you have not yet given your bank an exemption order, you should do so now.
This means you don't have to get the capital gains tax you paid too much back through your tax return.” (Symbolic image) © Zoonar.com/Yuri Arcurs peopleimages.com/Imago
There is still a lot of time left until the 2023 tax return is submitted.
What deadline applies to taxpayers who are obliged to submit a tax return and want to prepare the return themselves?
In those cases, the declaration for the 2023 tax year must be submitted to the tax office by August 31, 2024.
Since this date is a Saturday, the latest submission date is the following Monday - and therefore September 2, 2024.
Download our large tax return checklist for free HERE.
Many also submit a tax return voluntarily.
The voluntary tax return can be submitted retroactively for up to four years.