Do I have to file a tax return? A question that gets asked countless times on Google every day. Mostly by people who perceive working through the explanation sheets as a nuisance rather than what it actually is: a gift!

Only 54 percent of all taxpayers who do not have to file a tax return submit a tax return. It is mostly low-income employees who do not submit a declaration. As a result, taxpayers give the Treasury about one billion euros a year, which they are legally entitled to.

What also plays into the hands of the state: the explanation sheets are hardly understandable for laypeople, ELSTER is too opaque as a platform. Many people find the effort too high or the probability of a repayment too low.

88 percent of all people who submit a voluntary tax return also receive a refund. Even with a low income, this can quickly add up to three to four-digit amounts and secure a family vacation, for example. Or even an annual one-off support to be able to manage everyday life a little better.

So the question shouldn’t be “Do I have to…?”, but rather “May I?” or “How can I do my tax return?” Here’s the answer: Get a tax advisor, contact your income tax assistance association, or try tax apps like Taxfix, who take over the investment digitally for you beyond the tiresome arches and only ask easy-to-understand questions.

If you haven’t filed a tax return yet, what’s stopping you?

Christian Dobner | TLI Steuerberater

More net from the gross: That would be an effective and much simpler relief. In hardly any other country does the treasury dig deep into the pockets of workers as it does in Germany.

One relief package after the other is put together from the income. Why make it simple when you can make it complicated?

The federal government’s third relief package resembles a sprinkler system that tries to extinguish the entire house. And that, although only individual rooms are on fire. Many of the measures, such as lump-sum transfer payments to pensioners and students, are expensive and imprecise. A large chunk of the 65 billion euros will seep away somewhere where the money is not needed.

The dying working middle class, who largely get nothing themselves, can pay for themselves, but co-finance such packages with high taxes and levies. The graphic shows: An average earner has about as much money to live on as the state receives for his work. This puts Germany among the best in the world.

It is correct that low-income households in particular, which are suffering particularly from the current situation, should be relieved. But more and more middle-income people no longer know how to cope with the skyrocketing prices.

In these difficult times, the federal government should also noticeably and sustainably relieve those who fill the state coffers with their services – and leave the employed with more net from the gross.

Christian Dobner | TLI Steuerberater

TLI Steuerberatungsgesellschaft Dobner GmbH & Co. KG was awarded for the fourth time in a row by Yourfirm.de, the leading online job exchange for medium-sized companies in German-speaking countries, as “Top Employer in medium-sized companies 2022“.

“Top Employer in medium-sized companies 2022”

 

The aim of the award is to focus on the advantages of medium-sized employers for job seekers and to give them orientation when looking for interesting employers in medium-sized companies.

Since 2015, Yourfirm has been selecting companies based on a “popularity index” for the published job advertisements and company profiles among the applicants. The 1,000 best-rated companies receive the “Top Employer in medium-sized companies 2022” seal.

Head of Human Resources from TLI Steuerberater Inga Stankeviciute: “We are very pleased about the award “Top Employer in medium-sized companies 2022″. This shows us that we are perceived as an attractive employer by potential applicants and that we stand out from our competitors on the job market. An appreciative environment, short decision-making processes, clear career prospects, rapid advancement opportunities, diverse and challenging tasks are just a few of the reasons that make TLI Steuerberater attractive to applicants. Especially in challenging times like the ones we are currently experiencing, it is important to emphasize these strengths when looking for personnel. The companies that continue to hire and grow during these times are strong and attractive employers. We too have grown during these challenging times and look forward to continuing our success story.”

Visit our career page and learn more about your career opportunities at TLI Steuerberater: tlitax.com/en/career

Inga Stankeviciute | TLI Steuerberater

In a letter dated February 18, 2021, the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) announced the status of the agreements concluded with other countries to avoid double taxation (so-called double taxation treaties or DTTs) as well as the agreement negotiations as of January 1, 2021.

The purpose of these bilateral agreements is to assign the right to tax a country and to avoid double taxation in the event that several countries are generally entitled to levy taxes. Due to increasing globalization and international networking, double taxation plays an important role in practice.

In its letter, the Federal Ministry of Finance states that various agreements are to be applied retrospectively. The retrospective applicability of agreements can lead to considerable legal uncertainty. The tax offices are instructed to carry out tax assessments provisionally if it is uncertain when the agreement will come into force. In these cases, a special need for advice is likely to be required.

On the peculiarities of the with the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Kosovo and Montenegro, the Republic of Moldova, the Slovak and the Czech Republic and Taiwan as well as on the special status of Hong Kong and Macau, which was concluded with the People’s Republic of China The Federal Ministry of Finance is aware of double taxation agreements.

The annex to the letter from the Federal Ministry of Finance contains the applicable agreements in the field of taxes on income and property, the applicable agreements in the field of inheritance and gift taxes, special agreements on the income and assets of shipping and aviation companies, agreements in the field of legal and Administrative assistance and the exchange of information as well as future agreements and the ongoing negotiations.

Please contact us as your experts for international tax law and double taxation treaties in case of any international tax questions. Please find further information to international tax law and double taxation treaties here on our website. In case of any questions to corporate tax law please do not hesitate to contact us.

Christian Dobner | TLI Steuerberater

The Federal Office of Justice has extended the deadline for the publication of the annual financial statements with the balance sheet date of December 31, 2019 to April 6, 2021.

Shortly before Christmas 2020, the Federal Office of Justice agreed with the Federal Office of Finance that, due to COVID-19, due to the fact that annual financial statements with a balance sheet date of December 31, 2019 and before March 1, 2021, were not published by the deadline by December 31, 2020, no payment proceedings are initiated.

On Friday, February 26, 2021, the Federal Office of Justice published that companies whose statutory period for the publication of accounting documents for the financial year ends on December 31, 2020 with the balance sheet date of December 31, 2019, will not be subject to a payment order in accordance with Section 335 of the Commercial Code (HGB) before April 6, 2021. In this way, the Federal Office of Justice, in renewed coordination with the Federal Ministry of Finance, wants to adequately take into account the interests of those involved in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

When publishing annual financial statements, in addition to the deadline for the publication, there are a few things that need to be observed in terms of content. In particular, since the Accounting Law Modernization Act (BilMoG), published or stored provisional accounting documents are no longer considered exempting. In addition, it is important to pay close attention to what information and items e.g. be published in the balance sheet. The publication of incorrect positions, e.g. at the term of liabilities can have a significant negative impact on the credit rating of the company. Credit institutions often check the creditworthiness of a company by fully automatic checking of the published accounting documents.

The obligation, content and deadline for the publication of annual financial statements must be carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us as your experts for corporate tax law. Please find futher information to corporate tax law here on our website. In case of any questions to corporate tax law please do not hesitate to contact us.

Christian Dobner | TLI Steuerberater