Income Tax Reduction
Entering a tax-exempt amount on the income tax card so that less income tax is withheld each month.
Wo wohnen Sie?
Damit wir Income Tax Reduction mit dem zuständigen Finanzamt in Ihrer Stadt anzeigen können.
Oder Großstadt wählen:
Sie werden zur geführten Suche weitergeleitet – mit Kontaktdaten, Termin und nächsten Schritten für Income Tax Reduction.
Quick answer
- 1
Documents you need
Application for Income Tax Reduction
- 2
Responsible authority
The authority of your main residence
- 3
How to do it
Apply directly online
- 4
Costs
Kostenlos über ELSTER
How to proceed
- 1
Fill out the application for a reduction in income tax
The “Application for Income Tax Reduction” form via ELSTER or on paper.
- 2
Enter estimated costs
Estimate and document advertising expenses, special expenses, or extraordinary expenses.
- 3
The tax-free allowance is entered
The tax office enters the tax-free allowance into the electronic payroll tax deduction data (ELStAM).
Responsible authority
The authority of your main place of residence is responsible.Find authority →
The essentials before applying
Who is eligible?
Employees with high income-related expenses, special expenses, extraordinary expenses, or alimony payments that exceed the standard amounts.
Income limit
Processing time
Nationwide: approx. approx. 3 weeks
Success rate
approx. 91.0 % (estimate)
Most common mistakes
- •Receipts/cost estimates are missing
- •The application was submitted late in the year – resulting in a lesser impact
Common reasons for rejection
- •Estimated income-related expenses below the employee's standard deduction
- •Application submitted after November 30
Alternatives
- Check related services in the application assistant
- Use social counselling before applying
If rejected
File a written objection within 30 days – with reasons why the decision is wrong and any missing evidence.
Related services
Questions & Answers
How long does the tax exemption apply?▼
Generally two calendar years; after that, a new application must be submitted.
Freshness & source
- Maintenance
- Continuously reviewed & updated
- Source
- ELSTER – Finanzverwaltung
- Data quality
- 100 %