# Indo German Tax

> Indo German Tax helps Indian professionals who work or worked in Germany claim their German income tax refund and their German pension contribution refund, including from India after they have left. Documents are collected over WhatsApp; a licensed German Steuerberater (tax adviser) reviews and files every return. The refund is paid by the German authorities directly to the client's own German or Indian bank account.

Important: Indo German Tax is not a tax advisory firm and does not give tax advice. It handles the eligibility check, document collection and client communication. All tax decisions and the filing itself are done by an independent licensed Steuerberater under their own licence and professional insurance (§2 StBerG).

## Who it is for

- Indian professionals currently working in Germany who have not filed for past years (2022 onwards is still open).
- People who worked in Germany and have moved back to India. German tax software assumes a German address and bank account, so it does not work for them; this service is built for that case.
- People who have left Germany for good, who may also reclaim their half of German pension contributions (§210 SGB VI).
- Not for freelancers or the self-employed: those are referred directly to the tax adviser.

## Key facts

- Filing window: a voluntary return (Antragsveranlagung, §46 Abs. 2 Nr. 8 EStG) can be filed up to four years after the tax year (§169 AO). In 2026, tax years 2022–2025 are open. **Tax year 2022 closes on 31 December 2026.**
- Average German income tax refund, all filers: €1,240 (Statistisches Bundesamt). Just over half land between €100 and €1,000; 3% exceed €5,000. Departure years and cases with money sent to parents tend to be higher.
- Pension refund: typically €15,000–€45,000 for a three-to-five-year career. Conditions: under 5 years of contributions, 24 months since the last contribution, living outside the EU. Filed on form V0901 to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung; takes three to six months.
- Tax refund processing: 45–56 days after filing in a typical case; longer in Munich, Stuttgart and Berlin and in July–September.
- Commonly missed claims for Indian filers: support sent to parents in India (Unterhalt, §33a Abs. 1 EStG); double household (§9 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 EStG); partial arrival/departure years; employee allowance of €1,230/year (§9a EStG) and home-office allowance of €6/day up to €1,260/year.
- The refund can be paid into an Indian bank account. The client never needs to travel to Germany; the adviser's authorisation (Vollmacht, §80 AO) is signed digitally.

## How it works

1. Client leaves their details through the contact form on the website.
2. Indo German Tax says whether it is worth doing, based on published averages.
3. Indo German Tax sends one document checklist and assembles the file.
4. Client digitally signs the adviser's authorisation (Vollmacht).
5. The licensed Steuerberater reviews, decides what is claimable, and files via ELSTER.
6. The Finanzamt assesses and pays the refund directly to the client's account.

## Pages

- [Home: services, process, claims, document checklist, FAQ](https://indogermantax.com/): the full service description
- [Document checklist](https://indogermantax.com/#documents)
- [FAQ](https://indogermantax.com/#faq)
- [Contact form: leave your details and we come back to you](https://indogermantax.com/#contact)
- [Who actually files your return](https://indogermantax.com/#who)

## Optional

- [Impressum](https://indogermantax.com/impressum.html)
- [Privacy notice](https://indogermantax.com/privacy.html)
- [Terms of service](https://indogermantax.com/terms.html)