Taxes & Finances B1

Submit your tax return with ELSTER

The use of ELSTER is free of charge.

elster steuererklaerung finanzamt

What is that?

Portal access via elster.de, tax questions via __LIVINGTERM_6__ or official help pages.

Where do I do that?

__LIVINGTERM_7__ Income tax certificate Proof of expenses and advertising costs

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