Home office
Home workers are to be given tax relief
Workers can hope for a home office flat rate in the future.
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Those who work from home because of the corona pandemic should receive tax relief in the future. So much can be saved.
The financial politicians of the Union and the SPD have apparently agreed on tax breaks for those who work from home because of the corona pandemic.
Citizens who work a lot from home because of the crisis should, according to information from the "FAZ", be able to claim a tax lump sum of five euros a day. The maximum that can be claimed, however, is a total of 600 euros per year.
"Unbureaucratic and easy to understand"
According to the report, the tax office puts the associated relief for German citizens at around one billion euros. Previously, it was assumed that around 1.5 billion euros. Sebastian Brehm (49), financial politician of the CSU, explained to the daily newspaper that this home office flat rate was a "flexible answer to the encrusted case law on the home office". It should be "unbureaucratic and easily comprehensible" and relieve everyone "who achieved an enormous amount from home during the pandemic".
At the moment, however, it is not yet clear whether the lump sum will also be granted in addition to the employee lump sum of 1,000 euros. Only those who come up with more than 1,000 euros in advertising costs per year would benefit from the home office flat rate if this is treated like other advertising costs.
The home office also increases heating costs
In addition to increased electricity costs, the home office also increases heating costs. However, the pure consumption costs themselves can only be deducted if part of the apartment is mainly used as a study. These costs can then be claimed as advertising expenses.
According to current calculations by the comparison portal Verivox, the home office will increase the heating requirement in winter 2020/2021 by an average of around four percent. A family with gas heating, who currently pays an average of 1,122 euros, will have to budget an additional 45 euros in heating costs this winter due to the home office. Users of oil heating systems, which up to now have been around 828 euros on average, have to reckon with an additional 33 euros.