2024-03-07 18:27:05
Under certain circumstances, owners can get a portion of the property tax refunded. Who this applies to and until when you have time for it.
The aftermath of the corona pandemic, skyrocketing energy prices and fundamentally higher costs of living – the past year left many people in dire straits. If this results in them no longer being able to pay their rent, landlords are also affected by financial losses.
However, there is tax relief for them: under certain conditions, landlords are entitled to a partial waiver of property tax. This is possible if they had significant rent losses last year through no fault of their own, explains the owners’ association Haus und Grund Deutschland. However, you should hurry.
Property tax waiver: Deadline ends soon
You can only submit applications for 2023 until March 31, 2024. All you need to do is send an informal application to the tax offices of the cities and municipalities. The tax offices are responsible in the city states of Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg.
The deadline cannot be extended. If you miss the appointment, it is at the discretion of the tax office whether you will receive a refund.
The property tax: Property tax is a tax on the ownership of land and buildings. Unlike the property transfer tax, it is due every year. How much you pay depends on where you live, the property and the building. Most apartment owners spend a few hundred euros a year, but owners of apartment buildings often have to pay four-digit amounts. They can pass this on to the tenants. Read here how much property tax you pay for 1,000 square meters.
You must meet these requirements
The property tax for rented properties is waived if the rental income was either more than 50 percent below the normal gross profit of a property or a property was completely unprofitable. In the first case, 25 percent of the property tax is waived, in the second case 50 percent.
Valid causes for the loss of rent: vacancy, general decline in rent prices or structural unrentability. Extraordinary events such as house fires and water damage, for example due to storms or flood disasters, are also legitimate reasons.
Important: The landlord must not be responsible for the loss of rent. This means that he must have made serious and sustained efforts to rent the apartment. He should be able to document that. A planned renovation or conversion are also not reasons for a property tax refund.