The first weeks
Register your address, make sure your name is on the letterbox and keep the tax ID letter. Give the correct ID and family information to payroll.
Preserve the split-year evidence
Keep travel dates, pre-arrival income documents, moving invoices and proof of homes maintained abroad. The year of arrival is often where treaty and progression questions arise.
- Arrival and registration dates.
- Foreign payslips and final tax statement.
- German employment contract and payroll.
- Moving, visa and professional-recognition costs.
Review more than salary
Foreign investment accounts, property, pensions, company interests and freelance work may all create German reporting. Make an asset and income inventory while records are easy to obtain.
Frequently asked
When do I receive my German tax ID?
It is normally sent after address registration. Delivery can fail if the registered name is not on the letterbox.
Do I report income earned before moving?
It may affect the German return and tax rate depending on residence timing and treaty rules.
Are moving costs deductible?
Work-related relocation costs can qualify, subject to the facts and documentation.
This guide is general information on German tax law, not advice on your individual case. Rules and figures change with each tax year.