To deduct, or not to deduct.
A quick cheat sheet with common tax deductibles.
Office 🏢
Office 🏢
✅
✅
Office space, cabinet, coworking seat.
Office space, cabinet, coworking seat.
Office space used for meeting clients, selling products, providing services, or conducting work is tax-deductible.
Office space used for meeting clients, selling products, providing services, or conducting work is tax-deductible.
Home 🏡 office
Home 🏡 office
✅
✅
Dedicated closed room.
Dedicated closed room.
A home office is only deductible if it is a dedicated room (not used for other personal activities) and has a door. A table in the corner of the living room won’t suffice.
A home office is only deductible if it is a dedicated room (not used for other personal activities) and has a door. A table in the corner of the living room won’t suffice.
Travel 🏖
Travel 🏖
⚠️
⚠️
Flight and train tickets, hotels, car mileage
Flight and train tickets, hotels, car mileage
Theoretically, business travel is fully deductible. However, the Finanzamt requires detailed proof for the necessity of travel and validity of expenses. Food expenses are deducted separately, not via receipts, but on a per diem basis.
Theoretically, business travel is fully deductible. However, the Finanzamt requires detailed proof for the necessity of travel and validity of expenses. Food expenses are deducted separately, not via receipts, but on a per diem basis.
Software 💿
Software 💿
✅
✅
Norman, HubSpot, Microsoft Office.
Norman, HubSpot, Microsoft Office.
Software required to do the work or deliver the outcome to a customer.
Software required to do the work or deliver the outcome to a customer.
Groceries 🛒
Groceries 🛒
❌
❌
Edeka, Lidl, Spätkauf.
Edeka, Lidl, Spätkauf.
Finanzamt dislikes these expenses because they are difficult to prove as business-related. One option is to have photo proof of the event or catering in addition to the receipts. Obviously, deductible for cafes and restaurants.
Finanzamt dislikes these expenses because they are difficult to prove as business-related. One option is to have photo proof of the event or catering in addition to the receipts. Obviously, deductible for cafes and restaurants.
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Does it apply to me?*
Does it apply to me?*
Does it apply to me?*
*Not financial, legal, or tax advice.
*Not financial, legal, or tax advice.
*Not financial, legal, or tax advice.
You can always deduct business-related expenses. The definition of "business-related" depends on the business. For a photographer, a camera is the main instrument, and for a financial coach, it's a personal vacation purchase. Below, we list typical deductible expenses that you can use as a generic, non-personalized guide.
You can always deduct business-related expenses. The definition of "business-related" depends on the business. For a photographer, a camera is the main instrument, and for a financial coach, it's a personal vacation purchase. Below, we list typical deductible expenses that you can use as a generic, non-personalized guide.
Maximize tax deductions.
Norman auto-finds deductibles and provides personalized tips for missed expenses.
Norman auto-finds deductibles and provides personalized tips for missed expenses.
FAQ
FAQ
FAQ
What exactly is Norman?
Norman is the Accounting Autopilot for modern entrepreneurs. It helps minimize audit risk and save money. Our mission is to make your everyday business life as easy as possible.
I am not self-employed. Can I file my income tax through Norman?
Yes! Norman supports salary from employment, donations, joint filings, etc. Still, we don't cover 100% of cases (e.g., solar installation subsidies).
Can I really do it myself?
Yes! If you use Norman, you usually don't need a tax advisor or accountant. Our mission is to make tax filing more accessible, faster, and less stressful. Thousands of individuals, self-employed, and businesses file their taxes without a Steuerberater. Many even do it on Elster, where it can be challenging to understand the questions and whether they are relevant to you. Norman endorses the official Elster portal.
How much does Norman cost?
The income tax submission for individuals costs €35. The self-employment registration form, smart invoicing, and bookkeeping are free. The monthly plans for self-employed start at €11/€22 for Kleinunternehmen/VAT payers.
Does Norman support freelancers and Gewerbetreibende:r?
Yes! We equally support Kleinunternehmer, Freiberufler, and Gewerbetreibende. You can submit the Gewerbesteuererklärung (Trade tax declaration) with Norman.
Can I trust my data with Norman?
Yes! Norman adheres to German data privacy requirements and stores your data only in data centers located in Frankfurt. When you connect a bank account, Norman NEVER sees the credentials used. Bank connection is provided by a PSD2 licensed Open Banking provider.
Does AI make a difference?
Yes! Modern AI models are extremely good at categorization and extracting information from documents (like VAT from a receipt). We assembled a collection of best-in-class models to save you hours on bookkeeping and tax filing. We've tuned the top-notch language model to work specifically with German tax law. Still, Norman can make mistakes. Check important information.
What exactly is Norman?
Norman is the Accounting Autopilot for modern entrepreneurs. It helps minimize audit risk and save money. Our mission is to make your everyday business life as easy as possible.
I am not self-employed. Can I file my income tax through Norman?
Yes! Norman supports salary from employment, donations, joint filings, etc. Still, we don't cover 100% of cases (e.g., solar installation subsidies).
Can I really do it myself?
Yes! If you use Norman, you usually don't need a tax advisor or accountant. Our mission is to make tax filing more accessible, faster, and less stressful. Thousands of individuals, self-employed, and businesses file their taxes without a Steuerberater. Many even do it on Elster, where it can be challenging to understand the questions and whether they are relevant to you. Norman endorses the official Elster portal.
How much does Norman cost?
The income tax submission for individuals costs €35. The self-employment registration form, smart invoicing, and bookkeeping are free. The monthly plans for self-employed start at €11/€22 for Kleinunternehmen/VAT payers.
Does Norman support freelancers and Gewerbetreibende:r?
Yes! We equally support Kleinunternehmer, Freiberufler, and Gewerbetreibende. You can submit the Gewerbesteuererklärung (Trade tax declaration) with Norman.
Can I trust my data with Norman?
Yes! Norman adheres to German data privacy requirements and stores your data only in data centers located in Frankfurt. When you connect a bank account, Norman NEVER sees the credentials used. Bank connection is provided by a PSD2 licensed Open Banking provider.
Does AI make a difference?
Yes! Modern AI models are extremely good at categorization and extracting information from documents (like VAT from a receipt). We assembled a collection of best-in-class models to save you hours on bookkeeping and tax filing. We've tuned the top-notch language model to work specifically with German tax law. Still, Norman can make mistakes. Check important information.
What exactly is Norman?
Norman is the Accounting Autopilot for modern entrepreneurs. It helps minimize audit risk and save money. Our mission is to make your everyday business life as easy as possible.
I am not self-employed. Can I file my income tax through Norman?
Yes! Norman supports salary from employment, donations, joint filings, etc. Still, we don't cover 100% of cases (e.g., solar installation subsidies).
Can I really do it myself?
Yes! If you use Norman, you usually don't need a tax advisor or accountant. Our mission is to make tax filing more accessible, faster, and less stressful. Thousands of individuals, self-employed, and businesses file their taxes without a Steuerberater. Many even do it on Elster, where it can be challenging to understand the questions and whether they are relevant to you. Norman endorses the official Elster portal.
How much does Norman cost?
The income tax submission for individuals costs €35. The self-employment registration form, smart invoicing, and bookkeeping are free. The monthly plans for self-employed start at €11/€22 for Kleinunternehmen/VAT payers.
Does Norman support freelancers and Gewerbetreibende:r?
Yes! We equally support Kleinunternehmer, Freiberufler, and Gewerbetreibende. You can submit the Gewerbesteuererklärung (Trade tax declaration) with Norman.
Can I trust my data with Norman?
Yes! Norman adheres to German data privacy requirements and stores your data only in data centers located in Frankfurt. When you connect a bank account, Norman NEVER sees the credentials used. Bank connection is provided by a PSD2 licensed Open Banking provider.
Does AI make a difference?
Yes! Modern AI models are extremely good at categorization and extracting information from documents (like VAT from a receipt). We assembled a collection of best-in-class models to save you hours on bookkeeping and tax filing. We've tuned the top-notch language model to work specifically with German tax law. Still, Norman can make mistakes. Check important information.
© 2025 Norman AI GmbH
© 2025 Norman AI GmbH
© 2025 Norman AI GmbH