As a member of a union, chamber, or professional association, you can declare your membership fees as income-related expenses ("Werbungskosten") in your tax return. This allows you to claim your job-related expenses for tax purposes.
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Membership fees to professional associations and trade unions are tax-deductible as income-related expenses.
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Requirement: The association must be related to your professional activity.
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Enter the contributions in the Taxfix app under “Job” → “Other Costs”.
🚀 Your Guide
Which contributions can I deduct?
You can deduct the contributions if the association or union is related to your current profession. This includes:
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Trade unions
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Professional associations
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Chambers of crafts
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Medical chambers
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Bar associations
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Tax advisor associations
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Chambers of architects
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Civil servants’ associations
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Judges’ associations
💡 Important: Contributions are only deductible if they directly relate to your own professional activity.
Where do I enter the contributions in the Taxfix app?
In the Taxfix app, enter your contributions as follows:
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Go to the “Job” category.
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Select the question about “Other Costs”.
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Choose the option “Professional Association / Trade Union”.
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Enter the total annual contributions.
➡️ If you have paid contributions to multiple associations or unions, you can simply add up the amounts and enter a single total.
Examples of trade unions
Here are some typical examples of deductible trade unions:
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IG Metall (Industrial Union of Metalworkers)
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ver.di (United Services Union)
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IG BCE (Industrial Union for Mining, Chemicals, and Energy)
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GEW (Union for Education and Science)
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GdP (Police Union)
Examples of other professional associations
In addition to trade unions, you can also deduct contributions to the following professional associations:
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Marburger Bund (for doctors)
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Chambers of crafts
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Civil servants’ association (Beamtenbund)
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Association of German Engineers (VDI)
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