Tax refund from Germany

Tax refund process

If you have worked in Germany during the last four years, you can file for a tax return. It is a simple procedure with RT Tax: register, gather the necessary documents, provide them to us, and we will take care of the rest!

Clients from Germany usually get 748 EUR returned on average.

Registration

Register for a tax return. Immediately after the registration you shall receive the documents submission form and further instructions. Our consultants shall contact you in 24 hours and answer all potential questions.

You can also download the documents submission form on your own. Find its filling examples here. After filling it in, you will have to gather all the documents necessary for a tax return.

Documents necessary for a tax return:

A copy of your passport or ID card;

Official documents certifying the holder’s identity and citizenship.

Lohnsteuerbescheinigung form or last payslips from all employments;

Lohnsteuerbescheinigung form – a document provided by employer which contains information on a person’s total income and paid taxes.

Last payslip – a document which contains information on a person’s total income and paid taxes. Last payslip is usually issued by employer together with the salary.

Example:

Lohnsteuerbescheinigung

Income certificate for the whole year from your local tax office (with translation in English or German) or form EU/EWR;

These documents show income that you have received in your home country. Form ES/EEE form can be issued only for EU citizens. Download the form here.

The documents of your declaration of residence in Germany (Anmeldung and Abmeldung) (if you have it);

Rental agreement (Mietvertrag) (if you have it);

Copies of rent payments (if you have it).

Copies of rent payments (if employer did not compensate them).

NOTE: If you do not have your Lohnsteuerbescheinigung form – no problem! You can still begin your tax return process. Our experienced tax return specialists will retrieve your missing documents.

Submission of documents

Submit all the necessary documents and the documents submission form to us. Bring or send all the documents to our representative office via mail:

RT Tax

Business Center – Kaap Noord
Asterweg 17A2
1031 HL Amsterdam, Netherlands

Having received your documents, we will begin your tax return process immediately and inform you. You can follow the process by logging in to an online account, created especially for you.

When the foreign tax office returns your taxes, you will be informed by e-mail about the successful tax refund.

Other services

If you worked in Germany, you could use Child Benefits return service. If one of the parents is working/has worked in Germany while the other one is living together with a child in any of the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, a child is eligible for this allowance. RT Tax specialists can help you to prepare documents for you to receive Child Benefit allowance.

Child’s money (Kindergeld) belong to children until they turn 25 (if a child does not work and is still in school/university). The purpose of Child’s money is to help parents to defray some of the cost of raising children.

Amount of the allowance: if you have one or two children, each child is entitled to 204 EUR per month; the third child is entitled to 210 EUR per month and each subsequent child is entitled to 235 EUR per month.

Necessary documents:

• A copy of Lohnsteuerbescheinigung form (provided by employer);
• A copy of employment contract in Germany (Arbeitsvertrag);
• An original certificate Arbeitgeberbescheinigung (provided by employer);
• A copy of lease agreement (Mietvertrag);
• Copies of registration/deregistration forms of place of residence in Germany. If you do not have these documents, you have to provide an exact address of your place of residence in Germany;
• Copies of passports or ID cards of both parents;
• A copy of marriage certificate (translated and certified by a translation agency);
• State social insurance forms from State Social Insurance Fund Board or forms EU/EWR-ES/EEE from State Tax Inspection (translated and certified by a translation agency, original documents) required for both parents. Forms EU/EWR-ES/EEE can be issued only for EU citizens.
• A copy of a child’s birth certificate (translated and certified by a translation agency);
• A copy of a child’s passport (if any);
• A certificate from school/university if a child is 18-25 years old (translated and certified by a translation agency, original document);
• A Certificate from Ministry of Social Security and Labour of home country confirming that the child does not receive any benefits or receives benefits in an EEA country (translated and certified by a translation agency, original document);

Limitation period: Child Benefit allowance may be returned for the last 4 years.

Important information:

• If you stop working in Germany, you have to inform Family Benefits Office (Familienkass) because you will no longer be eligible for Child Benefit allowance. If you stop working in Germany but you still receive Child Benefit allowance, Family Benefits Office may calculate a debt for you.
• According to the limitation period, you are eligible for an allowance for prior months. A full allowance will be deposited at once when Family Benefits Office confirms that you meet the requirements for the allowance.
•  Family Benefits Office considers if you are eligible for Child Benefit allowance in Germany. RT Tax is not responsible for the timeframe, outcome or the amount of allowance.