Greetings!
German taxes weren’t exactly designed with expats in mind.
That’s why I built plain English tax workbooks for people the German tax system wasn't written for. Employed expats filling their first Steuererklärung without paying a Steuerberater by the hour.
Every category and figure in the workbook is checked against the Einkommensteuergesetz (EStG), official BMF guidance and current ELSTER instructions, then translated into plain English with worksheets you can actually use. Find the categories that apply to you.
Not a tax advice. The references I wish existed before I opened my tax software. Use the workbook beside your tax software.
A Straightforward Note on Value
Several of the categories including relocation costs, home office, double household are commonly missed by first-time filers simply because standard software doesn't ask about them. Whether any of them apply to your specific situation, and how much they're worth, depends entirely on your facts. The workbooks are built to help you find out quickly and file with documentation you can stand behind not to promise a specific number.
Printable · Fillable
Find → Calculate → Document → File
Glad to see you!