Money & Taxes

Money in Germany has its own rulebook: your landlord wants a Schufa report before you have a credit history, your employer wants an IBAN before your first payday, and the Finanzamt wants to hear from you whether you like it or not. The good news — each of these is a solved problem once you know the steps.

Start by opening a German bank account (several are free and work before your Anmeldung), then understand how German taxes work — most employees are owed a refund of around €1,100 and never claim it. And if you earn above €77,400, your biggest saving is usually not a tax trick at all, but switching to private health insurance.