Got your annual payslip? Claim an average tax refund of €1.172 with wundertax
If you work in Germany, there’s one document that quietly lands in your mailbox every year and turns out to be incredibly important for your taxes: the annual payslip (Lohnsteuerbescheinigung).
What exactly is the annual payslip?
Your annual payslip forms the foundation of your German tax return. Think of it as the yearly “tax snapshot” of your employment in Germany. The annual payslip combines your monthly salary slips into a single official overview. It includes:
- Your taxable salary
- Withheld income tax
- Church tax (if applicable)
- Solidarity surcharge (Solidaritätszuschlag, if applicable)
- Social security contributions
Your employer must provide it to you by the end of February of the following year, and also send the data electronically to the tax office (Finanzamt). If you changed jobs during the year, you will receive multiple annual payslips, one from each employer.
The document also contains important identifiers such as your Steueridentifikationsnummer (tax ID), your tax class (Steuerklasse), child allowances (Kinderfreibeträge), and wage replacement benefits (Lohnersatzleistungen). These details often explain why too much (or too little) tax was withheld during the year.
Why this document matters so much
Your annual payslip is the starting point for your German tax return. It proves how much tax was actually deducted from your salary, and that’s crucial, because many employees end up paying too much tax during the year. If too much wage tax was withheld, you need to file a tax return to claim your tax refund.
The payslip can also help you identify whether you are obliged to file a tax return. Certain entries on your annual pay slip signify that you are obliged to file a German tax return. For example:
- Tax classes 3/5, 4 with a factor, and tax class 6
- Wage replacement benefits (entries in field 15), such as unemployment benefits (ALG 1), parental benefits (Elterngeld), maternity benefits (Mutterschaftsgeld), or sick pay (Krankengeld).
- The capital letter S ("Großbuchstabe S") entry
Keep your annual payslips safe. They can later serve as proof of income, for example, when you apply for parental benefits, or if your child applies for BAFöG student loans. You can also use them for checking pension records.
Turn your annual payslip into a tax refund with wundertax
This is where things get easy: if you've already received your annual payslip, you have everything you need to start your 2025 tax return with wundertax now. No waiting, no paperwork pile-up, just a smooth and straightforward process.
Simply upload your annual payslip as a photo or PDF, and enjoy saving time with your pre-filled tax return. Let the guided tax interview walk you through your 2025 tax return step by step.
Whether you’re employed, have changed jobs, or are filing taxes in Germany for the first time, wundertax helps you understand what matters in plain English. You only pay when you submit, and real-time checks help you avoid common errors.
For 9 out of 10 employees, filing their tax return leads to a substantial refund. On average, taxpayers get around 1.172 euros back in their pocket, and often even more if they had work‑related expenses, long commutes, or special circumstances in the tax year. This makes filing your 2025 tax return especially worthwhile!