With or without help?: Tax return 2024: these deadlines apply

Are you obliged to submit a tax return for 2024? Then you shouldn’t take too long for it. After the submissions have been extended several times in recent years due to the Corona pandemic, the regular date on July 31, 2025 is again valid this year.

« Until this date, the tax return must be submitted to the tax office for taxpayers’ payers, » says Daniela Karbe-Geßler from the Federation of Taxpayers. Only those who entrust a tax advisor or wage tax aid association with work remains more time. Then the delivery period for the tax return from 2024 is automatically extended until April 30, 2026.

Anyone who misses these deadlines must expect to receive a delay surcharge from the tax office. In addition, the authority can use the data available to them to carry out a tax estimate that can be disadvantageous.

For voluntary levies, there is significantly longer time

For example, taxpayers who have received an additional income of more than 410 euros or wage replacement benefits such as unemployment or parental allowance are obliged to submit a tax return. The delivery is also mandatory for merged couples who make use of the control class combinations 3 and 5 or 4 with a factor.

However, if you are not obliged to submit and would like to submit the tax return voluntarily, you will have more time. The tax return can be submitted retrospectively for up to four years, says Karbe-Geßler. For the explanation of 2024, the possibility of submitting will remain open until December 31, 2028.