TAX & FINANCE · Germany Only
German Tax Literacy 101
For English-speaking employed professionals with a freelance activity in Germany. Understand your Steuerbescheid, claim your deductions, and stop missing what you’re entitled to.
Register
Join the next live session.
€150 per participant · No VAT (§19 UStG) · Certificate and invoice within 24 hours.
3 hours · Google Meet · In English · Monthly · Max 20 participants · Germany only · €150 · No VAT (§19 UStG)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
What you’ll leave with
Six things you will be able to do after the session that you couldn’t do — or weren’t doing correctly — before.
01 Read your Steuerbescheid
Understand every line of your German tax assessment letter — what it means, how to check it, and what to do if it’s wrong.
02 Claim your Werbungskosten
Know exactly which deductions apply to you as an employee — home office, equipment, education, commuting — with the legal paragraph and receipt rule for each.
03 Separate employed and freelance income
Understand Betriebsausgaben, how to track freelance expenses correctly from day one, and how they interact with your employment income.
04 Calculate your tax reserve
Set aside the right amount each month so your annual Nachzahlung doesn’t come as a shock. A formula, not a guess.
05 Navigate Germany as a non-German
Understand double taxation treaties, how your residency status affects your obligations, and how foreign income is treated.
06 Know when to call a Steuerberater
Identify the situations where professional advice is necessary — and know exactly what to bring so you don’t waste your appointment.
COURSE OUTLINE
Three hours.
Hottest Tax Topics Covered.
The session is built around the Deductions Cheatsheet.
Every module answers what the cheatsheet raises.
01
The German tax system — overview for non-Germans
Who has to file. What the deadlines are. The difference between Einkommensteuererklärung and Lohnsteuer. Why both matter if you’re employed and freelance simultaneously.
25 min
02
Reading your Steuerbescheid
A line-by-line walkthrough of a real tax assessment letter. What each figure means. When to object (Einspruch) and by when.
25 min
03
Werbungskosten — employee deductions in depth
Every deduction available to you as an employee. Home office (Arbeitszimmer), Arbeitsmittel, Fortbildungskosten, Fahrtkosten. Legal basis for each. What receipts you need.
30 min
04
Betriebsausgaben — freelance expenses
What counts as a deductible business expense for your freelance side. How to separate personal from professional. The 10% Gemischte Aufwendungen rule.
30 min
05
The Deductions Cheatsheet — live walkthrough
Working through the 380-row cheatsheet together. Finding your profile. Understanding the limits and the receipts that make or break a deduction.
20 min
+
What to do now — the end-of-year checklist
Practical steps: what to gather, what software to use, when to file, when a Steuerberater is worth it.
10 min
IS THIS FOR ME?
This course is for you if…
- You are employed in Germany and have any freelance, author, or self-employment income on the side
- You have received a Steuerbescheid and genuinely didn’t understand what it said
- You’re not German and the German tax system feels like a bureaucratic black box in a foreign language
- You suspect you’re missing deductions but don’t know which ones or how to claim them
- You prefer a live, conversational English explanation over reading German tax guides alone
- You want to understand the system well enough to have an informed conversation with a Steuerberater
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Your materials work after the session too.
The session is built around the Deductions Cheatsheet.
Every module answers what the cheatsheet raises.
+ Deductions Cheatsheet
380-row Excel. Every deductible cost for employed + freelance + author profiles in Germany. Legal paragraph, limit, and receipt type for each line. Yours to keep and update annually.
+ Participant Workbook
Guided Excel to map your specific situation, track deductions throughout the year, calculate your monthly Steuerrücklage, and look up 38 German tax terms in plain English.
+ Slide Deck PDF
The complete 23-slide session deck sent within 24 hours after the session. Full reference document — no note-taking required during the session.
+ Certificate + Invoice
Personalised Certificate of Participation and an invoice — both sent within 24 hours after the session. The course may qualify as Fortbildungskosten.
3 Hours · One session · No parts · Monthly · New cohort each month · Germany Only · Tax-resident in Germany · Max 20 Participants · Small enough for real questions · Google Meet · Link sent after payment · In English · Technical German terms explained
REGISTRATION
Register for German Tax Literacy 101
Per Participant
€150
No VAT (§19 UStG) · One payment · Materials included
- 3-hour live session on Google Meet
- Deductions Cheatsheet (380-row Excel)
- Participant Workbook (guided Excel)
- Slide deck PDF — sent after session
- Certificate of Participation within 24h
- Invoice within 24h
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT
Register via Stripe →Joining from outside Germany? International registration is opening soon! We are currently upgrading our checkout system to seamlessly handle local VAT and tax compliance for global participants.
🔒 Stripe · Confirmation email sent immediately
Early Bird & Summer Discounts Available
A discount code for the first 10 registrants (Earlybird) and a Summer discount code valid until 10 July 2026 are available on this course.
Drop me a message to receive your code before registering.
Germany only. This course covers German tax law and is designed for people who are tax-resident in Germany. You do not need to be physically in Germany on the day of the session, but you must file taxes in Germany.
Invoiced by Kaush, Freiberuflerin, Germany. No VAT charged per §19 UStG.
EasyTax — Tax Made Easy .
A modular design system built for rapid scalability and cross-platform consistency.
The Tax Avatar system became the conceptual foundation for the German Tax Literacy 101 course.
Can German tax — be made Easy ?
Kaush
Designer, spatial planner, researcher, and author based in Germany since 2014.
I have navigated the German tax system as an employed and freelance professional simultaneously — without a Steuerberater for the first several years. The GTL101 course is what I needed when I started: a plain-English explanation of how the system actually works, with a working reference I could return to every year.
I teach from practice, not from textbooks.
All course materials are built from what I actually use.
M.A. Städelschule · AIV Best Thesis Prize 2016 · Co-author, Vernacular Branding →
FAQ
Common Questions
No. This is an educational course — general information about how the German tax system works for the described profiles.
For your individual situation, consult a licensed Steuerberater or Lohnsteuerhilfeverein.
Do I need to be physically in Germany?No — you can join the session from anywhere. You do need to be tax-resident in Germany and file taxes here. For our tax, VAT, and invoicing compliance, your billing address at checkout must be in Germany.
What if I’m only employed, with no freelance side?You’ll still benefit — modules 1, 2, and 3 (Steuerbescheid + Werbungskosten) apply fully to employed professionals. The freelance-specific modules simply won’t be as relevant to you yet.
What software do I need?Microsoft Excel or compatible (Google Sheets works for the Workbook). Google Meet. No other tools required.
Will the session be recorded?No. The session is live only. The full slide deck PDF is sent within 24 hours so you have everything without needing notes.
Can I get a refund?Full refund if requested more than 7 days before the session. If you can’t attend, your registration transfers to the next monthly cohort. See the Terms & Conditions.
Can my employer pay for this?In principle, yes — an invoice is provided within 24 hours. Whether it qualifies as Fortbildungskosten for your employer depends on your contract and their policy.
For any questions related to the course, do get in touch with me.
Connect →Not legal or tax advice. Courses are educational. For individual situations, consult a licensed Steuerberater or Lohnsteuerhilfeverein.