It's annoying - but necessary because it's mandatory for many people: the tax return. You can specify a lot there. For which you don't need any proof.
The tax return causes annual beads of sweat on your forehead. If you submit a tax return without the help of a tax advisor or the income tax assistance association, August 31, 2024 is the deadline. Since this falls on a Saturday, you have until the following Monday, September 2nd, 2024, to submit your 2023 tax return. You have to enter a lot of things - you can even deduct some things without receipts. What you need to consider.
What you can deduct from your taxes without receipts
Collect receipts and evidence and store them neatly so that you can quickly find them again when you need them. This can be challenging - although it is not always necessary, for example if you can use flat rates. You can simply deduct a certain amount from your taxes as a flat rate without the tax office wanting to see receipts, informs the
Wage Tax Assistance Association
. If your costs are higher than the estimated flat rate, you can still submit them, but you should have the receipts ready. What flat-rate amounts are available:
Flat rate for business expenses:
This was increased to 1,230 euros for the 2023 tax year. You don't have to take anything into account, because the tax office automatically recognizes the flat rate for business expenses when you submit a tax return. You don't need to enter a total or tick a box.
Home office flat rate:
From 2023 you can claim 1,260 euros annually, which means that 210 home office days can be billed, the
federal government
informs . So write down every day you spent in the home office so that you can write them off correctly. The
tax consultants Wendl
and Köhler
report on their own website that the tax offices usually accept the flat rate without asking, but queries in individual cases cannot be ruled out.
Distance allowance:
If the distance allowance is less than 4,500 euros, no documents or proof are usually required, informs the
ADAC
. However, if you declare 230 trips per year with a five-day week, you better have proof ready.
Account management flat rate:
You can deduct a flat rate of 16 euros.
Special expenses flat rate:
For singles, a flat rate of 36 euros applies; for couples assessed together, 72 euros are deducted. However, you can easily exceed these amounts.
Download our large tax return checklist for free HERE.
However, simply throwing away all receipts is not a good idea - sometimes you have more costs than are covered by the lump sum, in which case the tax office could request receipts.
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Without evidence: non-apprehension limit is intended to make work easier
When it comes to small amounts, tax officials don't look too closely; this is possible because there is a so-called non-objection limit (also known as the non-complaint limit). This should make work easier for officials and citizens alike. This includes, for example, the account management fee mentioned above. The
income tax assistance association
informs that this also includes costs for an application. By post this is 8.50 euros, for sending by email it is 2.50 euros. There is also a flat rate for washing work clothes, which falls below the non-collection limit. That's 0.76 euros for a load of laundry at 60 degrees. However, you should name the costs so that they can be allocated, because some tax offices are removing the non-complaint limit, reports the
Wage Tax Assistance Association
.