Is there a way to consider my commuter allowance in the tax return?
May 21, 2024 | 50,00 EUR | answered by Tatiana Herrmann
Dear tax advisor,
My name is Louis Peters and I work for a company located outside of my place of residence. Therefore, I have to regularly travel a longer distance for my daily commute. In my income tax return, I would like to claim the commuter's allowance in order to deduct my travel expenses from my taxes.
However, I have noticed that the commuter's allowance is not automatically taken into account in my tax return. I am concerned that I may be missing out on money that I am entitled to. Is there a way to include the commuter's allowance in my tax return, and if so, what is the best way to proceed?
I would greatly appreciate your help and support, as I would like to take advantage of all opportunities to optimize my tax burden. Thank you in advance for your response.
Kind regards,
Louis Peters
Dear Mr. Peters,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the commuter allowance in your income tax return. It is indeed correct that the commuter allowance is not automatically considered in your tax return and must be actively claimed by you. The commuter allowance is meant to allow you to deduct the travel costs between your place of residence and your workplace from your taxes.
To claim the commuter allowance in your tax return, you must first calculate the distance between your place of residence and your workplace. For each kilometer you commute to work, you can usually claim 0.30 euros as business expenses. Only the one-way trip counts, not the round trip. So, for example, if you travel 20 kilometers one way to work, you can claim 20 kilometers x 0.30 euros = 6 euros per workday as the commuter allowance.
To claim the commuter allowance in your tax return, you must fill in the corresponding field in Annex N of your tax return. There, you can specify the number of workdays on which you commute to work, as well as the distance between your place of residence and your workplace. These details will then be automatically multiplied by the set kilometer rate and considered as business expenses.
It is important that you provide all relevant information correctly and completely in your tax return to ensure that you receive the commuter allowance in full. If you are unsure whether you have filled everything out correctly, I recommend seeking advice from a tax advisor or tax assistance association. They can help you optimize your tax burden and take advantage of all possible tax benefits.
I hope this answer has been helpful to you and I am available for any further questions. Thank you for your trust and best wishes for your tax return.
Sincerely,
Tatiana Herrmann
