How much tax can I save through household-related services and tradesmen's bills?

Depending on the type of employment and work, household-related services are subsidised differently in the tax return. The expenses can be taken into account for tax reduction as follows, depending on their type:

20 percent, maximum 510 Euro

• for domestic help in marginal employment (mini-job),

20 percent, maximum 4.000 Euro

• for domestic help in employment subject to social insurance,
• for care and support services (also in nursing homes)
• for household-related services in self-employment.

20 percent, maximum 1.200 Euro

• for craftsmen's services, but only wages and travel costs plus VAT, not material costs.

Your expenses for domestic help, household-related services and craftsmen's services are deducted directly from the tax liability at 20 percent.

If you pay no or very little income tax, unfortunately you have no possibility of a tax reduction through household-related services or craftsmen's services.

The maximum amounts for the individual services are not reduced pro rata if the service is not provided for the whole year. For example, if you employed a cleaner for only a few months of the year, the wages paid will still be deducted from the tax liability at 20 percent, up to the maximum amount.

On the other hand, you cannot claim the expenses for household-related services more than once. Exception: You share the cost of caring for a person with others. However, you cannot claim double the maximum amount for two cleaners, even if you have multiple households in different homes.

The tax office counts multiple households in different homes as one household. If you and your spouse choose individual assessment, each partner is entitled to half the maximum amount for the respective household-related service. However, you can also apply for a different proportional allocation. Even if you are unmarried and living together, you can only claim half the maximum amount for yourself. In total, the maximum amount for the tax deduction is therefore only available once per household.

 

Mr Schmitt has his house renovated 2025 (cost: 6.000 Euro incl. VAT), employs a cleaner in marginal employment (4.800 Euro) and has a gardener (1.200 Euro incl. VAT) as well as a care service for his mother, who lives with him in the household (4.000 Euro incl. VAT). Through these expenses, Mr Schmitt saves income tax as follows:

• Deduction for renovation (20 percent of 6.000 Euro, max. 1.200 Euro): 1.200 Euro
• Deduction for cleaner (20 percent of 4.800 Euro, max. 510 Euro): + 510 Euro
• Deduction for gardener and care service (20 percent of 5.200 Euro, max. 4.000 Euro): + 1.040 Euro

Total tax deduction 2.750 Euro

This amount is deducted from the income tax. Mr Schmitt may receive a refund from the tax office if his pre-paid wage or income tax is higher.