How can I claim my travel expenses in my tax return?
July 7, 2023 | 45,00 EUR | answered by Wolfgang Lenzner
Dear tax advisor,
My name is Piotr Schenkenberg and I have a question regarding the tax deductibility of my travel expenses. In my profession as a sales representative, I am often on the road and have to cover many miles to visit clients or attend trade fairs. This regularly incurs high costs for petrol, highway tolls, and parking fees.
So far, I have listed my travel expenses in my tax return as business expenses, but I am unsure if I have taken into account all relevant costs. I also wonder how to accurately calculate the miles and if I can also claim tax deductions for trips to the workplace.
I am concerned that I may be missing out on tax benefits or making mistakes in my tax return that could lead to additional payments. Therefore, I would be very grateful if you could explain to me exactly which travel expenses I can claim in my tax return and how to calculate them correctly.
Can you also provide me with tips on how to best document my trips to be on the safe side in case of a possible tax audit? I am grateful for any help and support to accurately fill out my tax return and maximize tax benefits.
Thank you in advance for your guidance.
Sincerely,
Piotr Schenkenberg
Dear Mr. Schenkenberg,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the tax deductibility of your travel expenses. As a sales representative who is often on the road and covers many kilometers, it is important that you consider all relevant costs and correctly specify them in your tax return.
In general, travel expenses can be claimed as business expenses within the income tax return. This includes costs for gasoline, highway tolls, parking fees, but also repairs and insurance costs for the vehicle.
To calculate the amount of deductible travel expenses, you can either prove the actual costs with receipts or use the standard mileage rate of 0.30 euros per kilometer. For business trips to clients or trade fairs, you can calculate the number of kilometers between your residence and the destination and specify it accordingly in your tax return.
Also, trips between your residence and your workplace may be tax deductible under certain conditions. If you do not have a regular place of work, you can deduct the travel costs to the first place of activity as business expenses.
To ensure you are on the safe side in case of an audit by the tax office, it is important that you properly document your trips. This includes travel logs, fuel receipts, invoices for highway and parking fees, as well as any other relevant documents. It is advisable to keep a travel log where you record all business trips with the date, destination, mileage, and purpose of the trip.
I hope this information helps you and enables you to correctly complete your tax return and maximize tax benefits. If you have any further questions or need assistance, I am happy to help.
Best regards,
Wolfgang Lenzner
