# Commute to Germany - Tax deductions?



## tjimm (Oct 25, 2013)

Hello everyone, I´m new in this forum so I’m sorry for any obvious and repeatedly question I may ask

My situation is the following:

I have just got a job in Berlin that I’ll start in November. Right now I live in Sweden and even though I will work in Germany I will still live in Sweden. My plan is to go home over the weekends to my house and family. I will obviously need a room or apartment in Berlin that I can stay in during weekdays.

My question is: is there any way that I can pay my taxes in Sweden instead of Germany? If that is possible I can make tax deductions on all my trips to/from Berlin as well as on my accommodation in Berlin. 

I would greatly appreciate any help!

Best,
Kim


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

I'm guessing you won't have much choice in where you pay your taxes. To live in Germany, you have to register your residence with the local town hall - and part of that process involves them giving you a tax card, which you then give to your employer. Add to that, the fact that you will be spending the majority of your time in Germany rather than in Sweden, and that's normally enough for you to be considered "tax resident" in Germany.

Just for reference, the German employers are expected to withhold income tax and social insurances from your pay based on the information on your tax card. They would have no way of being able to coordinate with the Swedish authorities on what to withhold or where to remit any withholdings.

You may want to talk to your employer-to-be, though, and see what they have to say.
Cheers,
Bev


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

It's also German-source income anyway, so any question of residence probably doesn't matter. I'm highly confident you'll be paying German tax on German-source income.


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## tjimm (Oct 25, 2013)

Too bad, it will be tough from a financial perspective. If had a job in Sweden I could have deducted both the trips and the apartment from my tax when staying away from my family in the weeks. I guess I will have to solve this in some other way. 

Big thanks for the answers though!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

And if you and your family lived in Germany and were tax resident there, you'd be able to deduct the trips and the away-from-home living costs. The issue, it seems, is trying to maintain your tax residence in one country while being employed in another (because your place of employment is a major factor in considering your tax residence).
Cheers,
Bev


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