For a relocation year with its unusual deductions, English-language apps shine: Taxfix↗ asks plain questions and shows the refund before payment, Wundertax↗ is built for expats and students. If you read tax German confidently, ELSTER is free.
File It: App or ELSTER
Three paths: plain-language apps (€15–40), the free ELSTER portal in bureaucratic German, or a tax advisor for complex cases.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Finanzamt
Federal agencyThe BZSt is the federal body; your personal tax matters go to the Finanzamt for your registered address.
COSTS
- €Apps (Taxfix, Wundertax) ~€15–40 per return
- ELSTER free
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
My first year I filed via an app with questions in Russian — it found deductions I did not know. Later, once I understood the system, I switched to free ELSTER.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
I read every assessment for 10 minutes with my return beside it: reconcile income, deductions, result. Found a discrepancy — objection within a month. Miss the month and the assessment becomes final.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
File through what — ELSTER or an app? ▾
ELSTER is free and official but dry. Paid apps (Taxfix, Wundertax) guide by questions in Russian/English and often find deductions for newcomers — the price is worth it in a complex year.
The tax assessment arrived — what to check? ▾
Compare the calculation with your figures: office errors happen. For an objection you have a month from the assessment date — free and often successful if something was missed.
Why pay for an app when ELSTER is free? ▾
ELSTER is the official portal — forms in bureaucratic German with no hints about deductions. Apps ask human questions, find deductions and show your refund before you pay; in a relocation year they usually pay for themselves many times over.
The assessment is lower than calculated — what now? ▾
Compare it with your calculation and file an Einspruch (objection) within 1 month — free, informal. The usual cause: expenses rejected for missing proof — submit the receipts.