A sound education is important, it forms the basis for your future professional career. But it is also associated with costs that burden your wallet or that of your parents.

To make sure that students and trainees do not have unnecessary financial difficulties, the current tax laws allow the costs of education to be deducted from the tax. The tax office Bubolz-Bartsch.de advises around all questions on this topic.


What is part of the training costs?

Not everyone enjoys a good education, often the family financial resources are scarce. The German system is relatively cheap compared to other nations, but the various costs burden the wallet. It usually does not stay with the tuition fees, often the study starts far away from the parental home. The rent,, training materials, laptop and expensive technical literature must be purchased. The first question that arises is what exactly belongs to the term training costs. The most common costs are:
Fees for exam registrations, semesters, courses and studies.
Postage costs for required correspondence with your educational institution.
Interest on loans taken for your education.
Travel expenses, food and accommodation for excursions and other required trips.
The cost of your accommodation at the training location, such as rent, utilities or meals.
Travel expenses to the training place
Expenditure on office supplies and other work equipment, as well as electronic equipment or office furniture.
Special expenses or advertising costs?

The extent to which your education costs are tax deductible depends on whether you are in initial education or not. By this one understands all projects, which serve for the learning of your future profession. It does not matter if it is a study or an apprenticeship. What matters is whether you make money, according to which your expenses can be declared as expenses or special expenses. If you have your own merit, you can deduct your expenses indefinitely as a business expense. If you do not earn any money with your first education or your first studies, up to 6,000 Euros can be claimed as special expenses in the tax return.
Parents can benefit from the training allowance

If you are in training, your parents can apply for a training allowance for you. The condition is that your parents are entitled to a child allowance. Other conditions are that you have reached the age of 18 fully, do not live in the parental home and complete a vocational training. The allowance is currently 924 euros per calendar year, this is in the attachment "child" claimed in the income tax return of your parents. This may also be the case if you are abroad.


The possibilities are manifold and not always manageable for the layman. Inform yourself at the expert, the tax office bubolz-bartsch.de and secure yourself all tax advantages.