Tax Return for Students in Germany – It’s Possible!

According to applicable law, students in Germany are not required to submit an annual tax return. However, there are costs associated with studying, and many students wonder if these can be tax-deductible. It turns out that filing a tax return can be very cost-effective. And that is exactly what we want to talk about in today’s blog post. Can I deduct my study costs? Which study costs can I list on my tax return and get back? Find out more about the student tax return and why it makes sense to file a tax return during your studies – enjoy!

Tax return as a student in Germany – You can file a tax return during your studies

“Tax return for students.” A simple phrase entered into a search engine every year. At first glance, one might think that students in Germany do not qualify for a tax refund for a simple reason: Students generally do not work alongside university or at best have a mini-job, which is not taxable.

However, it is important to know that it is possible (and lucrative!) to file a tax return with the tax office and thus obtain a tax reduction for students. Of course not for everyone – who must and who can get a tax refund in Germany can be found in the following paragraphs about the student tax return.

German tax refund: Tax return for students Who is responsible for filing with the tax office?

Students who pursue a legal employment during their studies are considered full-fledged employees and are therefore required to file a tax return:

• have several additional jobs (with different employers),
• are self-employed (self-employed, freelancers),
• if the amount of income exceeds the basic tax-free allowance (12,096 € in the year 2025); this includes capital income or rental income, e.g., from an apartment.

Most students with a single job automatically fall into tax class I. However, many do not know whether they have to file a tax return with tax class 1. Often the filing is not mandatory, but it can still be worthwhile to reclaim study costs.

Tax return as a student – Who does not have to file a tax return?

You already know which students have to file a tax return must. For most, however, this is not obligatory. Those who do not meet the above criteria do not have to file a tax return with the German tax office. In other words, the obligation to file a tax return does not apply to students who:

• do not work,
• receive no remuneration for their work that exceeds the tax-free amount,
• take on mini-jobs.

Attention: Students can also receive reminder letters

Even as a student, it can happen that the tax office demands a tax return – for example if you worked independently alongside your studies or had several jobs. In such cases, the office sends reminder letters that you should not ignore. If you are unsure, it is worth checking your own situation and responding if in doubt.

Voluntary tax return for students – why should you submit it?

Some students have to settle their taxes, for others it is only an option. But is it worth it? It is worth knowing that it is for students almost always worthwhile to file a voluntary tax return in Germany – even if they have no additional income. Why?

Studying comes with costs, e.g., for commuting to university or paying semester fees. If you are a student and your expenses are higher than your income, it constitutes a so-called tax loss. If you know this from experience, you should know that you can include this information in your annual tax return. In this way you can count on a student tax return.

A tax refund is only possible if the student has made advance payments on income tax throughout the year. The costs for a bachelor’s degree can be deducted as special expenses, but there is no possibility of carrying forward losses, meaning that missing income in the relevant year does not bring direct tax benefits. However, for a master’s degree and further education, the costs can be claimed as advertising expenses and carried forward (loss carryforward), which can be financially advantageous in the long term.

Deducting taxes as a student – when is it sensible to file a tax return?

“Tax return as a student without income – when is it worthwhile?” We are eager to answer. Submitting the tax return to the tax office is worthwhile among other things for freelancers. The second group consists of students, who constantly incur costs directly related to university, as we mentioned in the previous section.

Deducting study costs – what can a student deduct from taxes?

In general, students can list the costs of their studies on their tax return. In practice, this means that you can, for example, deduct tuition fees or the purchase of a laptop for your studies. But that’s not all – there are many more expenses of this kind. So what can a student deduct from taxes?

• Fees for courses and exams
• Academic literature
• Writing materials
• Software needed for studying
• Computer
• Printer
• Costs for commuting to universities
• Relocation costs
• Accommodation costs
• Interest rates for student loans
• Study abroad

Student tax return retroactively – is that possible?

You may find that most (if not all) of today’s post is new to you. But nothing is lost – the student tax refund can be claimed retroactively, meaning you can submit a tax return for previous years (up to a maximum of seven years) to the tax office. In practice, this means that you still have the opportunity to reclaim money for expenses incurred since your first year of study.

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