Taxes & Finances B1

Submit your tax return with ELSTER

From registration to delivery: digital, secure and traceable.

elster steuererklaerung finanzamt

What is that?

ELSTER is the official digital tax portal. For many people, the first submission is complex because receipts, forms and deadlines have to be brought together. A structured process saves time and reduces errors. The process becomes professional if you don't just collect at the end, but rather categorize receipts every month and work with a fixed checklist every year.

Where do I do that?

Portal access via elster.de, tax questions via Finanzamt (tax authority) or official help pages.

Required documents

  • Steuer-ID (tax identification number)
  • Income tax certificate
  • Proof of expenses and advertising costs

Typical costs

The use of ELSTER is free of charge.

Note: Costs may vary by state or city.

Progress

  1. 1 Create an ELSTER account early and test access
  2. 2 Clarify tax year and personal mandatory/optional cases
  3. 3 Collect all receipts in categories (work, health, further education, household)
  4. 4 Exactly transfer data from the income tax certificate
  5. 5 Systematically record advertising costs and special expenses
  6. 6 Consistently use plausibility checks in the portal
  7. 7 Confirm delivery and save proof of delivery
  8. 8 Answer queries from the tax office in a structured and timely manner
  9. 9 Check your tax assessment and respond promptly if anything is unclear
  10. 10 Add learning list for next year

Important German words & sentences

die Steuererklärung - jährliche Meldung steuerlicher Daten
Die Werbungskosten - beruflich veranlasste Ausgaben
Der Bescheid - offizielles Ergebnis des Finanzamts
Ich möchte meine Steuererklärung online abgeben.
Wo trage ich meine Werbungskosten ein?

Common mistakes

  • • Store documents without a category system.
  • • Make the most of deadlines by the last week.
  • • Do not check the tax assessment even though there are discrepancies.

Official source