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Inquiries from the tax office

May 19, 2010 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dipl.BW/SB Ulrich Stiller

Hello,

I have the following question or problem: I was self-employed until 31.12.2009. I then submitted my tax returns for 2008 and 2009 at the beginning of the year. Now, since April 2009, I have been separated from my husband. During the move, all documents and papers have been lost (either he destroyed them or simply refuses to hand them over). The tax office now requires these documents for further processing. I was only able to file my tax return based on my own records. How should I now behave towards the tax office, or how should I explain this to the tax office? I can no longer provide the required evidence.

Thank you in advance.

Best regards,
T.H.

Dipl.BW/SB Ulrich Stiller

Dear seeker of advice,

Thank you for your inquiry, which I would like to answer based on your information and in the context of your commitment in a first consultation as follows:

If the tax office requires receipts and documents, you should obtain duplicates or copies. First of all, you should contact your bank to get the bank statements for the years 2009 and 2010 again. You can obtain such duplicates from the bank for a fee. With these statements, at least the income and expenses can be reconstructed.

If you suspect that your soon-to-be ex-husband does not want to hand over the documents, you should ask him in writing, possibly with the involvement of a lawyer, to hand over the receipts within a specified deadline.

You must prove or make your taxable income plausible to the tax office. If this is not possible, the tax office can estimate the tax bases to your disadvantage.

Best regards,

Ulrich Stiller
Tax advisor/Diplom Business Economist