Do expats have to file a German tax return?

Short answer: Yes—most expats who earn income in Germany must file a German tax return, although some can submit voluntarily and still receive a refund.

German tax return rules for expats hinge on two questions: are you tax-resident and did you earn income beyond a single, payroll-taxed salary? If you register an address and stay longer than six months, you become “unbeschränkt steuerpflichtig” (fully liable). You must file if any of these apply:

• You earned over €410 in untaxed side income (freelance, crypto, Airbnb).
• You or your spouse received Lohnersatzleistungen like maternity pay or Kurzarbeit.
• You had multiple German employers in the same year.
• You earned rental income or capital gains—even from property abroad.

For straightforward salaried employees, filing is optional; however, nine out of ten voluntary filers get money back by claiming relocation costs, health insurance and home-office expenses. Deadlines matter: without a tax adviser you must submit by 31 July of the following year; with our tax team you have up to two years thanks to the adviser extension.

At Finance for Expats we translate every form, pull payslips and insurance certificates directly from providers, and e-file your return in English-friendly software. If you have worldwide income, we map double-tax treaties so you don’t pay twice.

Key take-aways:

• Mandatory filing if you have untaxed side income, multiple jobs or benefit payments.
• Voluntary filing often yields refunds for relocation and insurance costs.
• Finance for Expats handles bilingual paperwork, treaty relief and on-time submission.