finances / tax office
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finances
Used almost exclusively in the plural 'die Finanzen' (finances) and refers to the total financial resources and economic situation of a person, company, or the state.
Er muss seine Finanzen besser organisieren, um Schulden zu vermeiden.
He needs to organize his finances better in order to avoid debt.
This word is almost always used in the plural 'die Finanzen' (finances) to describe the general financial situation. The singular form 'die Finanz' is rare and usually refers to an authority.
Sie hat ihre Finanzen gut im Griff.
She has her finances well under control.
The word 'Finanz' is the basis for many other words related to money. These include the adjective 'finanziell' (financial), the verb 'finanzieren' (to finance), and compound nouns like 'Finanzamt' (tax office) or 'Finanzkrise' (financial crisis).
Wir müssen den Hauskauf solide finanzieren.
We need to finance the house purchase solidly.
In the plural, 'Finanzen' (finances) is often combined with verbs like 'ordnen' (to organize), 'regeln' (to manage), or 'im Griff haben' (to have under control). These phrases describe how someone handles their own economic situation.
Es ist wichtig, seine Finanzen regelmäßig zu überprüfen.
It is important to review your finances regularly.
The term 'die Finanz' for the tax office is mainly used in Austria. In Germany, the term 'das Finanzamt' (tax office) is used almost exclusively instead.
Er muss seine Steuererklärung bei der Finanz einreichen.
He has to submit his tax return to the tax office.
fortune / ability
'das Vermögen' and 'die Finanzen' both have to do with money. 'Vermögen' means total assets, for example money, houses, or other valuable things. 'Finanzen' is almost always used in the plural and means the financial resources or economic situation of a person, a company, or the state. The words can be confused because both talk about money. 'Vermögen' is more about the question: How much does someone own in total? 'Finanzen' is more about the question: What is the situation with money, income, expenses, and planning?
Wenn wir umziehen wollen, müssen wir zuerst unsere Finanzen prüfen.
If we want to move, we first need to check our finances.
Nach vielen Jahren Arbeit hat die Familie ein kleines Vermögen aufgebaut.
After many years of work, the family built up a small fortune.