My German Tax Return

This is a tax guide for all
employed persons
who want or need to file an
income tax return
(or: tax declaration) in Germany but
do not speak much German
. It explains the basics of German tax law and guides you through the most important questions and tax forms:

• 
  Where do I file an
  income tax return
  
  (Steuererklärung)
  ?
  


• 
  What
  deadlines
  do I need to know regarding my tax return?
  


• 
  Which
  tax office
  
  (Finanzamt)
  do I have to submit my tax return to?
  


• 
  May I send a German tax return by
  email
  ?
  


• 
  Which
  expenses
  are deductible in a tax return?
  


• 
  Are there
  lump sums
  
  (Pauschbeträge)
  or do I have to calculate every little bit?
  


• 
  What do all these weird words in the
  tax forms
  mean?
  


• 
  What do I need may
  wage tax certificate
  
  (Lohnsteuerbescheinigung)
  for?
  


• 
  What do tax payers mean when they talk about the
  
  »
  Mantelbogen
  «
  
  ?
  


• 
  What the heck is
  
  »
  Elster
  «
  
  , if not a magpie?
  


• 
  How do I fill in the
  Annex N
  ?
  


• 
  Is there a chance for a
  tax
  
  refund
  ?
  


• And so much more!

It' s so much easier than you think!

Even for native speakers, German tax law sometimes seems rather incomprehensible. But then, most of the time, it' s
not as complicated
as you may have feared! Many tax forms are actually quite
self-explanatory
.

Whether you do your tax return yourself or seek professional advice: This guide about filing a tax return in Germany will help you!

Though you may speak little or no German, you can basically
do your tax return yourself
. But even if you use the services of a tax advisor
(Steuerberater)
or go to an income tax help association
(Lohnsteuerhilfeverein)
, the following applies: only if you
know the basics
of German tax law you can point out
important facts
to your advisor that may be unusual for other taxpayers.