As a student, you can deduct many of your study-related expenses on your tax return. We’ll show you which costs are tax-deductible, what to keep in mind, and how to enter them in the Taxfix app.
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In initial education, you can deduct up to €6,000 per year as special expenses – but only if you had taxable income in the same year.
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In further education (e.g. Master’s or dual studies), all expenses can be deducted as income-related expenses – including carrying forward losses.
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Enter your study expenses in the app under “About you” → “Education & Studies”.
🚀 Your Guide
Initial or Further Education?
Whether your studies count as initial or further education makes a big difference for your taxes:
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Initial education: You’re in initial education if you start university or vocational training (e.g. a bachelor’s degree) directly after school and haven’t completed any prior vocational training or university degree.
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You can deduct up to €6,000 per year as special expenses.
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These only reduce your taxes if you had taxable income in the same year.
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Further education: If you already have a vocational qualification or degree (e.g. you’re doing a master’s after a bachelor’s, or studying after an apprenticeship), your current studies count as further education.
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All your expenses are considered income-related expenses.
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Benefit: You can use a loss carryforward, meaning your losses are transferred to future tax years if you had little or no income.
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Dual studies: If you are employed by a company and study at the same time (e.g. a dual bachelor’s program), you earn money and are in a formal job.
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Your education expenses are always treated as income-related expenses, regardless of whether it’s your first or second course of study.
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💡 Important: Even if your degree is your personal “first study program,” it is only considered initial education for tax purposes if you haven’t completed any previous vocational training or university degree.
For example, if you completed an apprenticeship before starting your bachelor’s degree, it counts as further education – and you can deduct all study-related expenses in full.
👉 The Taxfix app automatically detects whether your expenses qualify as special expenses or income-related expenses based on your answers.
Which Costs Can I Deduct?
The following study-related expenses are typically tax-deductible:
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Tuition fees
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Semester contribution
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Course and exam fees
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Travel costs to university or the library
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Laptop, computer, printer
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Academic books and materials
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Interest on student loans
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Costs for study-related trips (travel, accommodation, meals)
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Home office deduction: 6 per day, up to 210 days per year, i.e. a maximum of €1,260 per year. Prerequisite: You have worked or studied at home for your studies on these days. A separate study is not required for this.
⚠️ Only your own expenses count – not those paid by your parents or others.
How Do I Record My Study Expenses in the App?
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In the “About you” section, select the activity “Studying / In training”.
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Then go to the “Education & Studies” category, where you can enter all relevant expenses. The app automatically recognizes whether your entries qualify as special expenses or income-related expenses.
💡 Tip: Upload your receipts clearly and completely – this helps if the tax office requests proof.
🚀 Fill out the simple question-answer flow - we'll take care of the rest!
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