Germany apartments search. Decoding ads

Apartments search in Germany has some special feature: you must know special language of renting ads, you should have a good friends and for you it will be much simplier, if you have no family.

The best way to find a good apartment in Germany is to ask friends. Since most apartments with a good price-quality ratio do not reach the Internet.

But if there are no acquaintances, then you have to work hard.

Read more

German tax return. Anlage WA-Est

how to fill out anlage wa-est german tax return anlage wa-est / Steuererklärung Anlage Wa-Est ausfüllen

In this part – how to fill out Anlage Wa-Est.

Anlage Wa-Est is filled out by those

  • who left Germany in the declared year,
  • who moved in Germany in the declared year
  • but also those who do not have a permanent place of residence in Germany, but would like to be treated as unrestricted taxable (that is, as living in Germany).

Read more

German tax return Elster. Anlage Sonderausgaben

German tax return Anlage Sonderausgaben Steuererklärung

“Special expenses” (Sonderausgaben) used to be in the Mantelbogen of the German tax declaration. Now they have been taken out in a separate application Anlage Sonderausgaben. Lines are in a different order now.
Application content: chirch tax, donations, expenses for first education, maintenance of other persons.

Read more

Home office tax deduction in german tax return

Wolf, goats and cabbage – an old task in a new way. How do you combine a fully online high school kid, a part-time elementary school child, a dad in a home office who needs complete silence and not run around rooms, and an 11-month-old baby running around – in three rooms?

Fortunately, the hard work for solution of this difficult logistics challenge will be rewarded. The government allowed to write off days in bedlam home office at 5 euros per day.

More details about how to deduct home office expenses from taxes.

Read more

Elster online. 6. Household works deduction – Anlage Haushaltsnahe Aufwendungen (35a)

household work deduction tax return Anlage Haushaltsnahe Aufwendungen ausfüllen Steuererklärung

The landlord or management company have finally bothered to send you an annual calculation? So you can go to the household works deduction in german tax return.

Household works have now a separate Anlage Haushaltsnahe Aufwendungen (35a). It moved here in 2020 from the main part (formerly lines 71-78 Hauptvordruck).

Read more

Leben in Deutschland test. 7. Germany and Europe. Migrants

Leben in Deutschland test (Orientierungstest, Einburgerungstest) has several questions about the relationship between Germany and other countries (mostly Europe). There are also a few questions about migrants, but more from a historical perspective.

Note: This post does not include the changes that will occur with the UK’s exit from the EU.

Read more