How can I use the commuter allowance in the income tax return?
September 14, 2022 | 50,00 EUR | answered by Tatiana Herrmann
Dear tax advisor,
my name is Alexander Dornbusch and I have been working for many years in a company that is unfortunately located very far from my place of residence. I commute over 50 kilometers to work and back every day. Since the commute is quite long, I would like to know how I can use the commuter allowance in my income tax return.
So far, I have never claimed the commuter allowance in my tax return because I am unsure of the correct procedure. I have heard that one can claim the travel costs between home and workplace for tax purposes, but I am not sure if I have all the relevant information and receipts for it.
My concern is that I may be missing out on money by not using the commuter allowance. I want to make sure that I take advantage of all opportunities for tax savings and do not make any mistakes when declaring the travel costs.
Can you please explain to me how exactly I can claim the commuter allowance in my income tax return? What documents are required and how much can I claim? Are there any other tax benefits that I can take advantage of as a commuter? I would greatly appreciate your help and support.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Alexander Dornbusch
Dear Mr. Dornbusch,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the use of the commuter allowance in your income tax return. I would be happy to explain to you how you can claim the travel expenses between your home and workplace for tax purposes.
The commuter allowance is a tax-free amount that allows commuters to deduct their travel expenses to work. For every full kilometer of the one-way distance between your home and workplace, you can claim 0.30 euros as advertising costs. For a distance of 50 kilometers per working day, this corresponds to a commuter allowance of 15 euros per day.
To include the commuter allowance in your income tax return, you will typically need the following documents: a list of the number of days you commuted to work, the one-way distance between your home and workplace, the exact amount of travel costs per kilometer (such as gasoline or public transportation costs), and any evidence of special circumstances such as construction sites or detours that have led to longer travel distances.
It is important that you provide all of this information correctly in your tax return in order to use the commuter allowance correctly. The amount you can claim is based on the number of working days in the year that you commuted to work. This amount will then be automatically deducted from your taxable income, resulting in tax savings.
In addition to the commuter allowance, there may be other tax benefits that you can take advantage of as a commuter. These may include the costs of a second household for work-related purposes or meal allowances for business trips.
I recommend that you carefully collect all relevant documents and, if necessary, seek assistance from a tax advisor to ensure that you make the most of all opportunities for tax savings. If you have any further questions or need assistance with your tax return, I am happy to help.
I hope that this information has been helpful to you and wish you success in utilizing the commuter allowance in your income tax return.
Sincerely,
Tatiana Herrmann
