January 31 is the deadline for submitting the property tax return.
Owners can still use the weekend to complete and submit the declaration.
Berlin – Now it's really getting tight.
Even shortly before the new deadline – January 31 – many property owners have still not submitted their property tax returns.
In addition, there is no indication so far that the deadline will be extended again.
Property tax return: If you fail to do so, there will probably be no penalties for the time being
After all, defaulting owners do not have to expect a late payment surcharge or fine if they do not submit the property tax return on time.
This is suggested by a current query by the advice portal Finanztip at the tax authorities of all 16 federal states.
According to this, 14 federal states initially want to send a reminder letter.
"It is appealed to the insight and moderate behavior of the tax offices mentioned," says tax expert Jörg Leine from
Finanztip.de
.
However, the expert advises submitting the property tax return “as soon as possible”.
"Because at some point the tax office will resort to the last resort if the property tax return has still not been submitted." And that is the estimate of the property tax value, which decisively determines the amount of the property tax.
“An estimate by the tax office has never been beneficial for taxpayers.
Here it means more property tax than necessary, and that for many years to come,” warns Leine.
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The deadline for filing the property tax return is January 31st.
(symbol photo)
© Manngold/Imago
Anyone who has so far put off submitting their property tax return can use the weekend to submit it before the deadline.
The most important points are summarized here again.
Submit a property tax return: It doesn't always have to be Elster
As a rule, owners have to submit their property tax return in electronic form to the tax office - via the Elster portal.
It is now almost too scarce for submission in paper form, and in some federal states an extra application must be submitted for this.
The problem with Elster, however, is that many of those affected find the operation of the online portal complicated and confusing.
Submission of the property tax return works a little easier via the website "Property tax return for private property", which operates on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
According to the notice on the website, filling out the forms above should take about 30 minutes.
Downer: The offer is only valid for the eleven federal states with the federal model and can only be used when it comes to simple matters - such as undeveloped land, one- and two-family houses or condominiums.
With the help of a questionnaire on the home page, you can quickly determine whether you can use this route.
Programs can help anyone who wants or has to use the Elster method.
However, they are chargeable.
Stiftung Warentest recommended Wiso property tax in September, while the testers rated Smartsteuer property tax as rather confusing and error-prone during the test period.
Property tax return: Which documents are required
In order to be able to fill out the forms, owners need the appropriate documents.
The tax offices also sent several letters last year, from which those affected can actually take the necessary data.
Important: The requirements for what data must be entered may differ by state.
Information on this can be found on the property tax reform overview pages set up by the federal states.
In most cases, it is also explained where owners can view required data that they no longer have at hand.
In the simple form, the following must be stated in the property tax return:
size of the property
district
corridor or parcel
Co-ownership share of the property (for condominiums)
Tax number or the file number of the property
ground value
Year of construction of the building (from 1949)
living space
Number of garage parking spaces
Contact details of the owners
If you are no longer able to submit the declaration on time, you can also apply for an extension of the deadline.
However, this must be justified.
Jana Bauer, deputy managing director at the Bundesverband Lohnsteuerhilfevereine (BVL), told the
Handelsblatt
: "The reason for the failure to meet the deadline must be valid and excusable."
With material from dpa and AFP
List of rubrics: © Manngold/Imago
