If you work from home or use your private smartphone for job-related purposes, you can deduct part of your telephone and internet costs from your taxes. Here's what you need to know and how to correctly enter the information in the Taxfix app.
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Costs for telephone and internet are deductible if used for job-related purposes.
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Flat rate: deduct 20% of costs, up to €20/month.
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Alternatively: unlimited deduction possible with individual records.
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Usage must be job-related.
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App automatically calculates flat rate or percentage.
🚀 Your Guide
When Are Telephone and Internet Costs Deductible?
If your employer doesn’t reimburse the job-related portion of your bills, you can claim them as income-related expenses. There are two options:
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Flat Rate: Deduct 20% of your total costs, up to €20/month or €240/year. No proof required.
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Individual Records: Deduct without limit, provided you can prove the job-related share.
The app supports both options.
How to Use the Flat Rate for Telephone and Internet
The flat rate saves effort since no documentation is required. However, the maximum is €240 per year.
Requirement: You worked from home or made job-related calls using your private phone.
How to Calculate the Flat Rate
Use invoices from three months with the highest usage. Calculate the average and annualize it.
Example:
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March, April, May: €50 + €43 + €56 = €149
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Average: €149 / 3 = €49.67
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20% of that = €9.93
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Annual amount: €9.93 x 12 = €119.16
Only claim costs for months in which the services were used for your job.
Alternative: Use Individual Records
With individual records, you may deduct more – ideal if your job-related share exceeds 20%.
Documenting Phone Use
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Track all calls (date, time, duration, contact) for three consecutive months.
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Calculate the job-related share.
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Example: 40% job-related = deduct 40% of total phone costs.
💡 Tip: You don’t need to separate phone, internet, or SMS usage. Use the total bill, including base fees.
Documenting Internet Use
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Estimate job-related usage share (up to 50% is generally accepted).
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Example: 50% job-related = deduct 50% of annual internet costs.
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Once accepted, the share may be applied to future tax years.
How to Enter the Costs in the Taxfix App
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Select the category "Job".
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Indicate that you used your phone/internet for job-related purposes.
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The app applies the flat rate (20%) or 50% for daily usage.
Note: For 50% claims, the tax office may request supporting documents.
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Enter your average monthly costs (max. €100).
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Enter the number of months used for job-related purposes.
The app automatically calculates your deductible amount.
🚀 Fill out the simple question-answer flow - we'll take care of the rest!
Still have questions?
We're here to help! Contact our support team: support@taxfix.de