With the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall last week, we thought it would be a good time to share a few of the photos we took earlier in the year when we visited Berlin.
Moving to Germany? Start saving receipts for tax-time now
If you are moving to Germany, before you move you should already be thinking about and preparing for tax season. This is not to scare you for high German taxes, but rather to advise you on a simple practical matter which could save you some serious Euros and even more serious Dollars the way the x-rate is changing these days. Save Receipts!
Save all receipts for:
- travel and other expenses if you are searching for a job in Germany before moving
- plane tickets and other travel related expenses once you leave for your new home
- car rental expenses once you arrive and are getting settled
- moving expenses including movers, packing supplies
Assuming you are not being reimbursed by your employer for them, it’s likely you will be able to deduct at least some of them on your taxes.
Can you deduct the expenditures from your first trip to IKEA? Nope, but don’t worry we asked a professional on that one.
Do you have any suggestions for receipts to save in order to maximize deductions? Please leave them in the comments!
Two quick German tax quirks
Coming from the States I call them quirks, but you can easily see why they exist:
- Tax preparation costs are federally legislated, not set by the individual preparers. The amount is based on your income level. Guess there is no incentive for them to innovate.
- Expenditures for local craftsman/workman services, for example having your apartment painted, are tax-deductible if you have a receipt. You get a tax deduction and the government keeps track of service provider income. No wonder you can often get a discount if you pay cash – and forgo the receipt!
Some simple German income tax form vocabulary for expats
Whether you are lucky enough to have your company provide a tax preparation service to you or you have to worry about your taxes yourself it’s always good to understand some of the vocab.
To start with…
Einkommen ( income) + Steuer (tax) + erklärung (explanation) =
Einkommensteuererklärung (income tax return)
… if only they were all that easy! The following are some words, phrases and explanations are for the Anlage N document which are useful for expats.
Anlage N – Einkünfte aus nichtselbständiger Arbeit (Income from employment)
Jeder Ehegatte mit Einkünften aus nichtselbständiger Arbeit hat eine eigene Anlage N abzugeben - Each spouse with earned income (not from self-employment) must turn in Form N
- Bruttoarbeitslohn – gross pay
- Lohnsteuer – wage tax, the rate depends on which bracket (Lohnsteuerklasse) you are in
- Solidaritätszuschlag – literally ’solidarity supplement’, enacted in 1991 originally to pay for costs from reunification and Gulf War I but is now used to pay for support for southern and eastern European countries. Historically 5.5-7.5% but now seems to be about ~1% looking at a recent paystub.
- Kirchensteuer – church tax (see our earlier post on Getting the Anmeldebestätigung
- Steuerfeier Arbeitslohn nach Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen / zwischenstaatlichen Übereinkommen – tax-free wages based on double-taxation agreements (you have to declare any income you made prior to moving to Germany within the year, but you are not taxed on it
If these few words are making your head spin (as they do mine), it’s time to call an accountant. What tax related words would you add to this list?
Tapxe.com visits the 2009 Tour de France
300 meters from the finish in Besancon! can you find Lance?
Finish of 2009 TDF Stage 14
