Income and Business Taxes
Income and Business Taxes guides and articles about life in Germany.
Freelancers in Germany: Who Qualifies as a Freelancer and What Taxes Do They Pay?
Home Office in Germany: how to claim work-from-home expenses on your tax return
How Income Tax Is Calculated in Germany: Rates and Formula for 2026
How to Claim Your Commute to Work on Your German Taxes: Pendlerpauschale and Werbungskosten
Net Salary in Germany in 2026: How Gross Income Becomes Take-Home Pay
Remote work for a foreign company from Germany: taxes, insurance, and registration
Selling Items Online in Germany: When Taxes and a Business License Apply
Tax Classes in Germany: How the Steuerklasse Affects Your Pay
Tax classes in Germany: Steuerklassen I–VI and changes through the Finanzamt
Tax Classes in Germany: Tax Class, Deductions, and Changing Your Class
Tax deduction for supporting relatives in Germany
Doppelte Haushaltsführung: Tax Deduction for Maintaining Two Households in Germany When can you claim “Doppelte Haushaltsführung” in Germany, what conditions does the Finanzamt check, which expenses are eligible, and what documents are required for your tax return? Freelancers in Germany: Who Qualifies as a Freelancer and What Taxes Do They Pay? Let’s take a closer look at who is considered a “freiberufler” in Germany, how a liberal profession differs from a trade (“Gewerbe”), how to notify the tax office, and what taxes to pay in 2026. Home Office in Germany: how to claim work-from-home expenses on your tax return How the Home-Office-Pauschale works in Germany, when you can deduct a home office, which documents to keep, and how to report the expenses on your tax return. How Income Tax Is Calculated in Germany: Rates and Formula for 2026 How Germany's progressive Einkommensteuer rate works: Grundfreibetrag, the 2026 tariff zones, Splittingtarif for spouses, tax classes, and Progressionsvorbehalt. How to Claim Your Commute to Work on Your German Taxes: Pendlerpauschale and Werbungskosten How to account for commuting costs in a German tax return: Arbeitnehmer-Pauschbetrag, Pendlerpauschale, the €4,500 limit, public transport, cars, and calculation examples. Net Salary in Germany in 2026: How Gross Income Becomes Take-Home Pay How to Calculate Take-Home Pay in Germany: Lohnsteuer, Solidaritätszuschlag, Kirchensteuer, Krankenversicherung, Pflegeversicherung, Rentenversicherung, and Arbeitslosenversicherung in 2026. Remote work for a foreign company from Germany: taxes, insurance, and registration How a German resident can set up remote work for a foreign company: employment contract, freelance work, taxes, social security contributions, Krankenversicherung, Elster, and the SV-Meldeportal. Selling Items Online in Germany: When Taxes and a Business License Apply How to distinguish between a private sale of goods and commercial online trade in Germany, and what PStTG/DAC7, platform thresholds, §23 EStG, the small business regulation (Kleinunternehmerregelung), and Gewerbe mean. Tax Classes in Germany: How the Steuerklasse Affects Your Pay A Guide to Tax Classes in Germany: What tax classes exist, how they affect Lohnsteuer, what combinations are available for spouses, and how to apply for a change in tax class. Tax classes in Germany: Steuerklassen I–VI and changes through the Finanzamt How tax classes work in Germany, who is eligible for tax classes I–VI, how IV/IV with a factor differs, and how to change your tax class through the Finanzamt or ELSTER. Tax Classes in Germany: Tax Class, Deductions, and Changing Your Class How do tax classes work in Germany? What are the differences between tax classes 1–6? What should married couples choose? How can you change your tax class through ELSTER or the Finanzamt? And which deductions are important in 2026? Tax deduction for supporting relatives in Germany When can support for relatives be claimed as an **außergewöhnliche Belastung** under §33a EStG: who is considered the recipient, what limits apply in 2026, and what documents are required by the tax office.
