• Introduction about the tax declaration for doctors in Germany
In Germany, one pays one of the highest percentages of taxes in the world. A large part of the salary gets deducted. We explained this in the following article: “🇩🇪 Gross salary (🇩🇪 das Brutto) vs net salary (🇩🇪 das Netto)“. Through a tax declaration for doctors in Germany, doctors could get a high percentage of taxes back (in thousands of euros).
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• This article is a guide to enhance your understanding of the topic; however, it should not be your sole resource. Always consult official websites for the most accurate and up-to-date information (you can read our full disclaimer here).
• What is a tax declaration for doctors in Germany?
The tax declaration is a legal method that allows you to get a part of the taxes you paid back. You simply fill out special forms in special programs or apps and add to them all the invoices you paid. The program will then automatically decide how much taxes you paid extra, and then you will get a report, which you can send online or by mail to the tax authority (🇩🇪 der Finanzamt). They will examine it, and then you will get, in most cases, a lot of money back.
• Money refund: How much?
It depends on exactly what you spent (see the list at the end of this article), but generally around 1-8 thousand euros per year.
• Is it mandatory?
It is optional if you have only one employer (= you work only in one hospital simultaneously). But we recommend that you do it. You will always get your money back.
• When is this done?
This is done for each year in the year following it. For example, for 2023, you can submit your tax declaration (🇩🇪 die Steuererklärung) starting from 01.01.2024. The deadline for submitting the tax declaration is around September-October.
• How to do it?
• Apps, websites, and programs
They cost around 15–40 euros.
• Tax club/society (🇩🇪 der Steuerverein)
They will do it for you. The membership costs about 180-220 euros per year for resident doctors in first year. The more the income, the higher the membership cost.
I personally do it over a society, because doing it alone costs a few hours, not to mention forgetting to enter certain bills and costs. My motto was, I would rather go and work an extra shift, earn more money, learn medicine, and pay the membership. You can subtract the membership fees from the taxes for the following year. I had a great experience with the tax society in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia. You can register over this email address: sandra.beyhoff@vlh.de. Tell them in your email that you read this recommendation and they will take extra care of you.
That being said, if you have few costs, doing it in an App might be a good option too. But please read a lot before doing that yourself.
You can send your invoices and all related documents to the tax club in Essen by mail. It doesn’t matter where you live in Germany.
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• Tax advisor (🇩🇪 der Steuerberater)
You could get more money back, but they cost more (around 500-1000 euros).
How I lost around 1800 euros to an evil tax advisor in Germany!
I once had a terrible experience with a tax advisor. During our first meeting, he asked me to sign a contract agreeing to pay all costs. Trusting him, I signed it, as he assured me the fees would be around 500 euros. That was my mistake—I should have insisted on explicitly outlining his fees in an email or paper. In the end, I received an invoice for 1,400 euros! Unfortunately, the ordeal didn’t stop there. He later filed an objection concerning a sum that the tax office refused to reimburse, which resulted in an additional charge of 400 euros. This was incredibly frustrating because an employee had informed me over the phone that the objection was included in the initial 1,400 euros. What is more terrible is that I thought I could deduct these 1800 euros from my tax declaration, but I could not. He wrote the invoice so that I could only deduct 400 euros!!!
• What can be deducted from the taxes?
– All costs related to the medical license (books, courses, exam fees, train tickets, etc.)
– Things that help you in your work include work clothes (e.g., lab coat, stethoscope), pencils, papers, etc.
– Costs for learning: Books, apps, courses, journal subscriptions, etc.
– Medical events: Costs, fixed rate for eating/drinking, hotel costs, etc.
– Relevant insurance for the work: legal insurance (German: Rechtsversicherung), liability insurance (German: Haftpflichtversicherung), etc.
– Membership fees in the medical association or work unions (like the Marburger Bund)
– Each kilometer you drive to your work or to a course or medical event
– Costs for washing work clothes
– Costs for bank account
– Money transferred to parents (this can bring you a lot of money back, significantly the poorer your home country is). You should transfer the money in January or each month. This is very important.
• Do you want more details?
We could write a detailed article in the future. Write if you want us to do that.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and thorough research, no guarantee can be made regarding the completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information provided. Tax regulations may change, and individual circumstances may require specific advice. It is recommended to consult a qualified tax advisor for any tax-related questions or uncertainties. We accept no liability for any damages or losses that may result directly or indirectly from the use of the information provided here.
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