Required documents

– Your employment tax statement (Lohnsteuerbescheinigung), which summarises all your earnings and the taxes you paid during the year and which is issued by your employer either at the end of your employment or at the end of the tax year.

– Your tax identification number (TIN, Steuer-Identifikationsnummer or Steuer-ID), a unique 11-digit number that you receive by post, about six weeks after you register your residency with the local municipal office (Bürgeramt)

– Your tax number (Steuernummer), if you have one from your current  local tax office. It can be found on your last tax assessment (Steuerbescheid).

– Your German bank account details for your refund (IBAN, BIC)
– Proof of any income received outside Germany for the calendar year of the tax return. This is used to determine your tax rate. There is no double taxation.

– Child(ren), if applicable
Name, date of birth of child(ren)
Amount and period for which child benefits (Kindergeld) were received. If an application for child benefit was rejected, the rejection letter is required.
Expenses for childcare or education, e.g. Kindergarten/Kita, afterschool care

– Any other income or government benefit, e.g. parental benefits (Elterngeld), maternity benefit (Mutterschaftsgeld) etc.

Other deductions:

– Income-related expenses (Werbungskosten)
– Special expenses (f.e. insurances, donations)
– Exceptional expenses (f.e. medical expenses, assessments of a grade of disability)