Tax Return Starter Kit

Working in Germany? You could be owed a tax refund.

The average tax refund for employees who file is

€1,240

The only way to find yours is to take a first look.

The "German Tax Return Starter Kit" is your shortcut to the money the tax office may owe you, without digging through every form on your own.

0 €. No tax knowledge needed.

That €1,240 isn’t just a marketing number.

It comes from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office.

But it's only an average. Yours could be less, or it could be a lot more.

The only way to know your number is to look at your own situation, and that's exactly what the "German Tax Return Starter Kit" helps you do.

What you will find inside your German Tax Return Starter Kit

Do you even need to file? The very first decision, made simple.

The few documents that actually matter (and what to ignore).

Your filing options, explained in plain English.

A 30-minute start plan to begin your tax return today.

A 6-question self-check to see where you stand.

This German Tax Return Starter Kit is for you if…

The German tax return is still a closed book to you.

You know there are a few ways to file: a tool, an advisor, or ELSTER. You’ve just never figured out which one is yours.

You’re not sure you have to file at all.

Your employer withdraws tax from your salary, so maybe that’s it? You’re guessing. And guessing doesn’t feel good.

It feels overwhelming, so you keep putting it off.

Every month you tell yourself, “I’ll deal with it later.” But later turns into years, then into never.

You’re afraid you’re losing money, but you can’t put a number on it.

You’ve heard people get refunds. You just don’t know if that includes you, or how you’d ever get to that money.

I’m Nataliya

I'm Nataliya Shevchenko, an independent financial consultant.

Since 2013 I've worked mostly with international professionals in Germany, and I moved here as one myself.

For years I handed my own taxes to an advisor because it felt safer. Then I realized I'd given away the work, not the responsibility.

So I learned the system myself, and I've done our family's tax return on my own for over six years.

What I found is simple:

most of the fear comes from how complex taxes look, not how complex they really are.

That's what this German Tax Return Starter Kit passes on to you.

Not to make you a tax expert, but to help you take your first step without flying blind.

A clear starting point for your German tax return, without learning tax law or hiring an advisor.

Get your German Tax Return Starter Kit

You’re closer to starting your German tax return than you think.

This Starter Kit is for general information only and is not individual tax advice. For your personal situation, please consult a Lohnsteuerhilfeverein or a licensed tax advisor (Steuerberater).