What tax implications should I consider for a partial stay abroad?

If you only had a temporary residence in Germany during the tax year, you must provide the relevant information here. This applies if you moved away from Germany or returned/moved to Germany.

In this case, income earned in Germany after moving away or before moving to Germany is included in the assessment. Income earned abroad after or before this period is not taxed in Germany. However, it is included in the calculation of the progression clause, which results in a higher tax rate for taxable income.

What tax implications should I consider for a partial stay abroad?

What conditions must be met to apply for unlimited tax liability?

If you have neither a residence nor a habitual abode in Germany, you can apply to be treated as fully liable for income tax (fictive unlimited tax liability).

The conditions for this are:

• You are a natural person.
• You have domestic income.
• Your income is subject to German income tax for at least 90% of the calendar year, or the income not subject to German income tax does not exceed the tax-free allowance. The tax-free allowance in 2025 is 12.096 Euro for single persons and 24.192 Euro for married couples. The tax-free allowance may be reduced according to the country group classification of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
• You prove the amount of income not subject to German income tax with a certificate from the relevant foreign tax authority. For this purpose, you must submit the form "Certificate EU/EEA" or "Certificate outside EU/EEA" together with your tax documents.

What conditions must be met to apply for unlimited tax liability?

What regulations apply to public sector employees abroad outside the EU?

Special tax regulations apply to civil servants and public sector employees residing outside the EU if they continue to work for a German public law entity.

Unlimited tax liability despite living abroad

Certain individuals are still considered unlimited income tax liable (§ 1 para. 2 EStG) even without a residence or habitual abode in Germany:

• They hold German nationality,
• they have an employment relationship with a domestic legal entity under public law (e.g. federal government, states, municipalities),
• their wages are paid from a domestic public fund,
• household members also hold German nationality or have income taxable only in Germany.

This regulation particularly affects individuals with diplomatic or consular status.

Option for unlimited tax liability (§ 1 para. 3 EStG)

Individuals without diplomatic status can also apply to be treated as unlimited income tax liable if they have domestic income according to § 49 EStG.

Important: Only if residing in an EU or EEA country is there an additional entitlement to family-related tax benefits such as spouse splitting or child allowance. Outside the EU/EEA, this entitlement is generally excluded.

What regulations apply to public sector employees abroad outside the EU?

I worked as a harvest worker in Germany. How can I get a refund of the withheld income tax?

If you have stayed in Germany only temporarily and not for a continuous period of more than 6 months, you are subject to limited income tax liability in Germany for the relevant calendar year. Income tax is generally settled through the wage tax deduction.

However, you can apply for a refund of the wage tax if the income earned in Germany accounts for at least 90% of your total income or if your income not earned in Germany in 2024 does not exceed 11.784 Euro (possibly reduced by one, two or three quarters according to the country group classification).

I worked as a harvest worker in Germany. How can I get a refund of the withheld income tax?

Which form do I need to use to apply for a wage tax refund?

In addition to the income tax forms (main form, Form N, etc.) and the income tax statement, you must submit the form "Certificate EU/EEA" or "Certificate outside EU/EEA", depending on your place of residence, on which your relevant foreign tax authority certifies your details.

The forms "Certificate EU/EEA" and "Certificate outside EU/EEA" are available in several languages and can be downloaded from our website, as can the other income tax forms.

Which form do I need to use to apply for a wage tax refund?

When is it advisable to apply for unlimited tax liability?

Individuals who live abroad and earn and pay tax on the vast majority of their income in Germany can apply to be treated as fully liable to income tax in Germany under certain conditions (so-called cross-border commuters according to § 1 para. 3 EStG).

Whether this is possible depends solely on certain income limits:

• The domestic income taxed in Germany must account for at least 90% of the total income (relative limit). Or
• the foreign income not taxed in Germany must not exceed the tax-free allowance (absolute limit). The tax-free allowance in 2025 is 12,096 Euro for single persons and 24,192 Euro for married couples.

The advantage of unlimited tax liability on application is that, unlike with limited tax liability, you can claim all personal tax benefits as well as a whole range of family-related benefits. This includes, for example, the tax deduction for pension expenses, special expenses, extraordinary burdens.

There is a special advantage if you are a national of an EU/EEA member state and your spouse or child resides in an EU/EEA member state. It is not necessary for the spouse to also be a national of an EU/EEA member state. In this case, you can also benefit from family-related tax advantages: These include joint assessment with the splitting tariff or income tax deduction according to tax class III, the doubling of marriage-related allowances and maximum amounts such as the special expenses allowance, maximum pension amount, saver’s allowance, and the relief amount for single parents.

When is it advisable to apply for unlimited tax liability?