Missed the Deadline for Your Taxes? Here’s What to Do About Your Utility Bills

Tax season may be over, but those pesky utility bills often arrive late. Don’t worry, you might still be able to claim these costs on your taxes. Tax authorities typically accept the deduction of relevant costs from the previous year’s utility bills in the following year’s tax return. This means you can still claim expenses from your 2022 bills on your 2023 tax return. Just be sure to include a note in your tax declaration explaining this. These deductible costs usually include services like maintenance, gardening, and snow removal. Remember, you can only claim the portion of the costs you personally paid, not the full amount. If you find your tax office has not accepted these deductions, you can appeal their decision. Ask them to review the appeal after you receive your current utility bill. In Germany, even if you don’t receive a salary, you must file taxes if you have other income like pensions, rental income, or freelance earnings. This also applies to retirees if their income exceeds the tax-free threshold of 10,908 euros. Even salaried employees might need to file taxes if they have claimed deductions for high work expenses or have chosen specific tax brackets. Spouses and partners also need to file if they’ve selected tax brackets 3 and 5 or 4 with a factor. Additionally, anyone who earned over 410 euros in investment income, rental income, or received certain benefits like unemployment or parental leave must file.