Every tax refund is calculated individually – depending on your personal situation, income, and expenses. That's why your result might differ from your expectations.
📌 Quick & Easy
- Tax results are calculated individually and may vary from year to year. The outcome depends on your income, tax class, entries, and supporting documents.
- The calculation in the app is an estimated preview – based on your entries.
- The final decision lies with the local tax office. They decide which entries are accepted.
- Flat-rate amounts reduce your tax burden but are not refunded directly.
- Only taxes actually paid (e.g. income tax) are refunded – not social security contributions.
🚀 Your Guide
- What affects the amount of my tax refund?
- Which costs can increase the refund?
- Which taxes can be refunded?
- Which amounts cannot be refunded?
- Will I get flat-rate amounts refunded in full?
- Where can I find a breakdown of my calculation?
- Can I compare my tax result with previous years?
- What can I do next?
- If you filed your tax return yourself
- If you used the Expert Service
What affects the amount of my tax refund?
Several factors influence your tax result:
- Substitute payments such as sick pay, parental allowance, or unemployment benefits can reduce your refund.
- Few work-related expenses may lead to a smaller tax reduction.
- High income from bonuses, severance pay or side income increases taxable income.
- Tax class combinations like III/V or class VI can lead to back payments.
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Flat-rate thresholds: Expenses are only considered if they exceed certain limits.
Which costs can increase the refund?
- High work-related expenses, e.g. for commuting or training
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Job changes or interruptions during the year – which may lower your annual income
Which taxes can be refunded?
Only taxes that were actually paid can be refunded:
- Income tax
- Solidarity surcharge
- Church tax
- Advance income tax payments
- Capital gains tax
👉 You can find these on your income tax statement (lines 4–7, possibly 11–14).
Which amounts cannot be refunded?
- Social security contributions like pension, health, or unemployment insurance
- Company pension plans – reserved for retirement, not considered taxes
-
Tax-free bonuses (e.g. for night, weekend, or holiday work)
Will I get flat-rate amounts refunded in full?
No. Flat-rate allowances like the home office allowance reduce your taxable income – but are not refunded as cash. The tax office does not refund costs 1:1.
Where can I find a breakdown of my calculation?
You can review your calculation at any time in the Taxfix app. It shows how your estimated refund is calculated – based on your entries.
👉 How to view the details:
- Open the Taxfix app.
- Select the relevant tax year.
- Tap on "View".
- Under the tax result, go to "More info":
- view the submitted PDF file (if available),
- select "How we calculated your result" – a line-by-line breakdown,
- or tap "Show my answers" to double-check your inputs.
Can I compare my tax result with previous years?
Comparing tax years is generally difficult – even if your circumstances seem unchanged. Reasons for differing results include:
- Changes in tax laws or allowance thresholds
- Different income or employer data
- Varying deductible costs or receipts
- Fluctuations in gross or net income
Even small legal or job-related changes can affect the outcome. Use past tax assessments for reference, but don't expect identical results.
What can I do next?
- Review your calculation: Check your entries in the app thoroughly for completeness, typos or number errors. Make sure all amounts are correctly transferred. These form the basis of the estimated calculation.
- Check your tax assessment: Are there differences or missing details?
- File an appeal – if necessary, within one month.
💡 Helpful links:
If you filed your tax return yourself
We understand that deviations in the tax assessment can be confusing. Our calculations are generally very accurate, but the tax office may interpret certain entries differently. Employer data or missing information can also lead to discrepancies.
👉 Check your income tax assessment thoroughly – especially the section "Explanation of assessment". That's where the tax office explains any differences.
💡 Guide: Understand and check your tax assessment
If you want to amend or correct something, you can file an appeal within one month – by post or email. You can also submit updates via us at no extra cost. Just let us know.
🚨 Note: As a software provider, we are not allowed to provide individual tax advice.
If you used the Expert Service
We're sorry your tax assessment differs from the calculated estimate. Our partner tax firm prepares your return based on your entries and submitted documents. Still, deviations can occur – for example:
- incorrect or missing inputs,
- documents not submitted,
- or differing decisions by the tax office.
👉 Carefully check your tax assessment – especially the "Explanation of assessment" section.
If there's a mistake, you can file an informal appeal with your tax office. If you'd like to amend something, you can resubmit your data to us at no cost. Please let us know.
💡 More help here: File an appeal against your tax assessment
🚀 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