As of: March 26, 2024, 5:10 p.m
By: David Holzner
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Filing your taxes can be annoying.
Going to a tax advisor saves time and effort.
But when is it even worth it?
Many people know it.
You take your time until the deadline, but suddenly things get tight - you still have to file your tax return.
This can take a whole weekend.
To save time and hassle, many people turn to a professional.
According to
Stiftungwarentest.de,
there are almost 96,000 tax advisors in Germany.
They provide comprehensive advice on tax matters and prepare all kinds of tax returns. But is it actually worth going to a tax advisor for you?
Or should you rather take on the effort yourself?
An overview.
Income tax return: When does it become worthwhile for you?
Going to a tax advisor saves time and effort.
But when is it even worth it?
(Symbolic image) © Pond5 Images/IMAGO
In general, the less specialist knowledge you have in tax matters and the more complex your tax case is, the more it is worth going to a tax advisor.
The situation is similar to household repairs.
A clogged drain can still be fixed yourself.
If pipes need to be laid, call a professional.
For simple employees who have few tax obligations, the tax return is not particularly complicated.
So you can definitely do it yourself and save the money for the tax advisor.
However, according to Finanztip.de
, there are
some special cases for which the advice of a professional is worthwhile:
Cross-border commuters who, for example, live in Germany but work abroad.
Employees who are at least partially employed abroad.
Homeowners who produce their own electricity with a solar system.
In this case, it may be necessary to submit a trade and sales tax return.
Parents who want to give away part of their assets during their lifetime.
Even self-employed people, freelancers and traders usually cannot avoid a tax advisor.
As
Taxes.de
explains, you not only have to submit an income tax return, but also an income surplus statement and often a sales tax return and advance sales tax returns.
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Going to the tax advisor: How much do the costs cost?
A tax advisor is generally only worthwhile if the costs do not exceed the repayment.
As the
Federal Statistical Office (Destatis)
explains, the average amount of repayment in 2019 was 1,095 euros.
A total of 12.7 million taxpayers received a tax refund this year.
But how much does a tax advisor cost?
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In Germany, the fees for a tax advisor are regulated in the
Tax Advisor Remuneration Ordinance (StBVV)
.
The amount depends on the type and scope of the activity as well as the amount of taxable income.
The tax advisor's own discretion also plays a role, which can lead to large price ranges.
Taxes.de
speaks of a daily rate starting at 500 euros.
But daily rates of up to 1,200 euros are not unusual.
Tips for going to a tax advisor
If you have decided on a tax advisor, you should take advantage of the opportunity for a personal initial consultation.
When it comes to financial matters, a relationship of trust is always important.
Also describe your private and professional situation.
Things can often come up that are tax-relevant and that you may not even have considered.
Hire a tax advisor: What alternatives are there?
If you decide against going to a tax advisor but still need or want to submit a tax return, you have the following alternatives:
Tax return with ELSTER: ELSTER is the abbreviation for electronic tax return.
It is a central, nationwide service portal for the financial administration.
This allows you to create and submit your tax return online in your internet browser.
Under “My Elster” you fill out a form as with the paper declaration and add all the necessary attachments.
When you register for the first time, you will receive a certificate by mail with which you will identify yourself from now on.
“My ELSTER” offers general information on filling out the forms.
However, there are no detailed tips for saving taxes.
If you need a little more help filling out your tax return, using tax software may make sense.
Although these cost a bit, they are still comparatively cheaper than a tax advisor.
The price range ranges from 15 to 60 euros, depending on the scope of the program.
The program guides you through the various steps and requires little to no tax knowledge.
Finanztip.de
recommends “Wiso Tax” for the self-employed.
For employees, a slightly more complex program such as “Tax” is usually sufficient.
Important: Always make sure that you are using the latest version of the program.
As a rule, the program has the tax year in its name.
So for example: “Wiso Tax 2024” or “Tax 2024”.
Get support for your tax return from a tax assistance association.
They usually offer similar basic advice to the tax advisor and also take care of filling out and submitting your income tax return.
They are financed through membership fees and are usually cheaper than a tax advisor.
Attention: Tax help from a wage tax assistance association is excluded for freelancers and the self-employed, explains the
Federal Association of Wage Tax Assistance Associations eV