Child allowances
Good news first: the child allowance has now been raised to 7,356 euros. Up to 6,000 euros can be claimed for childcare. Also remember: If you financially support adult children for whom there is no longer any child benefit, you can claim this as an extraordinary expense.

Work-related expenses
For many people, the journey to work is the biggest expense. You are charged 30 cents per kilometer, regardless of whether you travel by bike, car or bus. If you have a study and use it 90 percent of the time, you can declare the costs in full. If you change your place of residence for work reasons, you benefit from a higher lump sum for the move: 764 euros.

Single parents
There is a relief amount of 1,908 euros for them. An additional 240 euros for every second and subsequent child. But be careful: there must be no other adults living in the household, such as a mother, partner or children over the age of 25 for whom child benefit is no longer available.

Donations and church tax
Donations are fully tax-deductible, but only if they do not exceed 20 percent of your income. Any excess is carried forward to the next year. By the way: Church tax also counts as a special expense and reduces the tax burden.

All about the household
Whether you employ tradesmen, babysitters or cleaners - their wages, if paid by bank transfer, are deductible. You can also declare major repairs on your tax return.