Cross-Border Tax for Expats in Germany — Frequently Asked Questions
TWO.TAX is the international brand of TWOTAX GROUP. The group includes Steuerbee & Partner, TwoTax LLC, TwoTax Ltd. and its Canadian affiliated company. It provides cross-border tax consulting for people and businesses whose affairs involve Germany and another jurisdiction.
The responsible entity, office, jurisdictions and deliverables are identified for every engagement.
For a scoped review, use the contact page and include the jurisdictions, tax years, deadlines, relevant correspondence and requested deliverable.
US citizens
Do US citizens in Germany have reporting obligations? U.S. citizens may have U.S. reporting obligations while Germany may tax residents. FEIE and Foreign Tax Credit rules may be relevant depending on the facts.
What is FBAR and do I need it? FinCEN Form 114 — required if all your non-US accounts combined exceeded $10,000 at any point in the year. Penalties for missing it are severe; late filing can usually be fixed via streamlined procedures.
German tax system
Deadline for the German tax return? Usually 31 July of the following year; with a tax advisor it extends (e.g. 30 April two years later for advised returns). Missed deadlines: see missed German tax deadline.
I received a German tax assessment (Steuerbescheid) I disagree with. What now? An Einspruch deadline is commonly one month. A tax appeal review can clarify the notice and available options.
Freelancer in Germany — what registrations do I need? Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung, possibly VAT registration or Kleinunternehmer status, quarterly VAT returns, EÜR with the annual return. Artists and publicists may qualify for KSK (Künstlersozialkasse) — subsidised health and pension insurance.
Finanzamt letters & visa
I received a Finanzamt letter I do not understand. Can you help? A document review can explain the issue, deadline and available next steps. See tax appeals.
I need a profit statement for a visa extension. What should I provide? The review normally starts with bookkeeping records, tax returns or assessments, current income data and the document request. See visa income proof.
Working with TWO.TAX
Who is TWO.TAX? TWO.TAX is the international brand of TWOTAX GROUP, an international group composed of affiliated companies and offices, including registered tax advisors, tax lawyers and immigration lawyers, in different jurisdictions. Services are provided by the entity and office responsible for the particular engagement under the applicable national rules and authorizations.
English-speaking support: advice and documents are available in English.
Remote onboarding: documents can be exchanged digitally.
Why can't I find TWO.TAX in the German Steuerberater register? TWO.TAX is an international tax consulting group, not a German Steuerberaterkanzlei listed in the Steuerberater register. The responsible service structure, authorization framework and scope are explained before an engagement begins.
Why can't I find reviews for TWO.TAX online? TWO.TAX has not joined review platforms or asked clients to publish public reviews. Sensitive client relationships are not exposed for marketing, and TWO.TAX does not buy, manufacture or incentivize reviews.
What are your pricing and payment terms? TWO.TAX first assesses the countries, tax years, filings, documents, deadlines, complexity and requested deliverables. An individual fee range and final flat fee are confirmed in writing before substantive work begins.