What you need to know now

by time news

GLet’s start with the good news: The annual date that costs many people nerves and time has been postponed this year – the submission of the tax return for the previous year. For the year 2021, the tax return must be officially submitted by October 31, 2022, and not on July 31, 2022.

But who actually has to file a tax return? In Germany, every employee must submit an income tax return if one of the following applies: You were employed by several employers at the same time in the 2021 tax year. Or there was so-called untaxed income of more than 410 euros from pensions or rents as well as fees. A declaration must also be submitted if an exempt amount was entered on the income tax card and the wages amounted to more than EUR 9,744 or more than EUR 19,984 together with the spouse per year.

Anyone who receives wage replacement benefits must submit

Another reason for filing is if you are assessed together with your working spouse and one of them was taxed according to tax class V or VI or both have chosen the so-called factor method for the tax class combination IV/IV. Parents, short-time workers or the unemployed cannot avoid submitting the tax return. Because they usually received wage replacement benefits of more than 410 euros such as parental allowance, short-time work allowance or unemployment benefit.

However, the said deadline of October 31, 2022 does not apply to everyone. If you have to submit a tax return for the year 2021 and plan to prepare it yourself, the submission date applies. However, anyone who consults a tax consultant or an income tax assistance association for their data has until August 31, 2023 to submit the tax due to the corona year 2021. This exception rule of the extended deadline had already applied to the tax year 2020. This applies to employees as well as to the self-employed.

Don’t submit any more receipts

Since the tax return for 2017, it is generally no longer necessary to send receipts to the tax office. The so-called document retention obligation applies – with a few exceptions. This does not mean, however, that the documents do not have to be available. If the tax office expressly requests the evidence, it must be presented. This includes tradesman invoices, account statements and evidence of household-related services.

Deadlines should be observed

Taxpayers already had to transmit the data online to the tax office for the 2020 tax return. The days of the Elster form are finally over, the transmission takes place via the website elster.de

A taxpayer should comply with the extended deadlines, otherwise there is a risk of late penalties, among other things. In addition, even tougher penalties can follow – the so-called penalty payment, a tax estimate and interest on late payments. The tax office can levy a late fee if the tax return is not submitted within 14 months of the end of the tax year. The automatic late payment surcharge is then 0.25 percent of the assessed tax, but at least 25 euros per month or part thereof.

You may also like

Leave a Comment