tax return
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tax return
An official form or electronic submission with which a person or company reports their income and expenses to the tax office in order to calculate the tax to be paid.
Ich muss bis Ende Juli meine Steuererklärung für das letzte Jahr abgeben.
I have to submit my tax return for last year by the end of July.
This word is a clear compound of 'die Steuer' (tax) and 'die Erklärung' (declaration). It literally means a declaration about one's own taxes for the tax office.
Viele Menschen nutzen eine Software für ihre Steuererklärung.
Many people use software for their tax return.
In connection with the tax return, certain verbs are used: you 'macht' (do) or 'erstellt' (create) it, 'füllt' it 'aus' (fill it out), and then 'gibt' it 'ab' (hand it in) or 'reicht' it 'ein' (submit it) to the tax office.
Ich muss meine Steuererklärung noch machen.
I still have to do my tax return.
To indicate the period for which the tax return applies, the preposition 'für' (for) is used. You always do the tax return 'für' (for) a specific year.
Er macht gerade seine Steuererklärung für 2023.
He is currently doing his tax return for 2023.
magpie / ELSTER
'die Elster' and 'die Steuererklärung' can occur together in the German tax context, but they do not mean the same thing. 'ELSTER' is the online portal of the tax administration. You can use it to submit your tax return digitally. The 'Steuererklärung' is the form or submission with information about income and expenses. Learners may confuse the words because ELSTER stands for 'Elektronische Steuererklärung' (electronic tax return). A practical tip: ELSTER is the route or portal; the Steuererklärung is what you submit.
Meine Schwester macht ihre Steuererklärung dieses Jahr ohne Hilfe.
My sister is doing her tax return this year without help.
Über ELSTER sendet Maria ihre Daten direkt ans Finanzamt.
Maria sends her data directly to the tax office through ELSTER.