Can I also claim a private move against tax?

With a private move without a work-related reason, the costs are not work-related expenses. You can, however, use the tax reduction for household-related services under § 35a EStG: 20 per cent of the labour costs – for example for packing, carrying, driving and assembly – is deducted directly from your tax liability, up to a maximum of €4,000 a year for all household-related services together. The prerequisites are an invoice and payment into the company's account.

Are estate agent's fees deductible when moving?

Estate agent's fees for renting a new flat are deductible as work-related expenses in the case of a work-related move. Estate agent's fees for buying a property, on the other hand, are not included, even if the reason is work-related. With a private change of home, the deduction does not apply at all. The estate agent's invoice should be made out in your name.

Can I deduct the costs of a moving company in full?

Yes, with a work-related move , the complete costs of a professional moving company can be deducted as work-related expenses. These include transport, packing, assembly and, where applicable, storage costs. Make sure the invoice lists all services in detail to avoid queries from the tax office.

How does a long-distance move affect your tax?

A long-distance move over several hundred kilometres usually involves higher travel, overnight and transport costs, which count as work-related expenses if the reason is work-related. Double rent for the old flat is deductible during the notice period for up to six months. Further information can be found in our Long-distance moves section.

Which travel costs can I deduct when moving?

Deductible travel costs for a work-related move include trips to search for and view flats and the moving journey itself. With your own car, €0.30 per kilometre driven is generally applied; for rail or air travel, the actual costs. Trips to authorities such as the citizens' office (Bürgeramt), on the other hand, belong to the other expenses covered by the flat rate.

What happens with double housekeeping?

With work-related double housekeeping – your own household at the centre of your life plus a flat at your place of work – the costs of the second flat (up to €1,000 a month), one trip home to the family per week and, in the first three months, additional subsistence expenses are deductible as well as the moving costs. Precise documentation of both households is important here.

Can self-employed people claim moving costs against tax?

Self-employed people can also deduct moving costs, but as business expenses rather than work-related expenses, provided the move is business-related, for example because the place of business is relocated. Similar rules apply as for employees, but with a different tax classification. Close consultation with a tax adviser is strongly recommended in this case.

Which receipts do I need for my tax return?

For your moving costs to be recognised for tax purposes, you need all original invoices from the moving company, proof of estate agent's fees, travel cost receipts and, where applicable, your employment contract as evidence of the work-related reason. Bank statements proving payment should also be kept. Complete documentation makes processing by the tax office considerably easier.

Is there a deadline for claiming the costs for tax purposes?

Moving costs belong in the tax return for the year in which they were paid. If you are obliged to file a return, you must submit it without an adviser by 31 July of the following year; with a tax adviser, a longer deadline applies. Employees who file voluntarily have four years to do so. Collect the receipts promptly all the same.

Can I deduct tradespeople's services when moving?

Yes, tradespeople's services connected with the move, such as connecting a kitchen or painting work in the flat, qualify under § 35a EStG at 20 per cent of the labour costs, up to a maximum tax reduction of €1,200 a year. Material costs are excluded. However, this only applies if the costs are not already deducted as work-related expenses – nothing qualifies twice.

TAX AND MOVING

Claiming moving costs against tax

Q: When is a move considered work-related?

A move is considered work-related if it shortens your daily commuting time (there and back) by at least one hour, you start a new job, are transferred or take up employment for the first time. Moving into or out of a company flat in the employer's interest and setting up or ending double housekeeping also count. According to the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, judgment of 5.2.2025, VI R 3/23), moving merely to set up a study for the first time is not a work-related reason.

Q: What does the flat rate for other moving expenses cover?

The moving expenses flat rate covers other moving expenses such as re-registration, tips, new number plates or smaller purchases without individual evidence. Since March 2024, €964 has applied for the person moving and €643 for each additional person in the household; there has been no separate rate for married couples since 2020. The Federal Ministry of Finance adjusts the amounts by letter, not on a fixed cycle. The flat rate comes on top of the documented transport costs.

Work-related or private? That determines how you claim moving costs against tax – as work-related expenses or as a household-related service under § 35a EStG.

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COLLECTING RECEIPTS PROPERLY

Tax return

An invoice the tax office can follow

Two routes to a tax advantage

Unsere Firma Work-related expenses for a work-related move, a tax reduction under § 35a for a private one – the invoice plays its part in deciding.

If you want to claim moving costs against tax, you need above all a meaningful invoice. From us you receive an invoice that shows transport, packing and assembly services separately. With a work-related move, you claim these as work-related expenses (Werbungskosten); self-employed people claim them as business expenses (Betriebsausgaben) if the reason is business-related. With a long-distance move involving higher costs in particular, a clean breakdown pays off.

If you move without a work-related reason, the tax reduction for household-related services under § 35a EStG may apply: only the labour costs qualify, not the materials, and the invoice must be paid by non-cash means. On request we show the labour share separately on the invoice. We are not permitted to give tax advice – in individual cases a tax adviser can help. You can find more about our services under Private move.

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PERSONAL ADVICE

Request a fixed price, receive a receipt

Invoice with services shown separately

With a fixed price after a survey you know in advance what costs to expect – and can plan them for your tax return. Your belongings are covered under the German Commercial Code (HGB), and additional insurance is available on request. Call us on 01625978461 and have a no-obligation quote prepared.

Offers available individually, depending on effort, scheduling and the scope of services required.

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CLEAN DOCUMENTS

What matters on the moving invoice

Labour costs visible, payment by bank transfer

We come from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and handle moves within the city and nationwide. For a moving invoice that can be used for tax purposes, three things count: your name and the address of the flat, a service period and a breakdown into labour, travel and material costs. For work-related moves and company moves you need the total amount; for a private move, above all the labour share. Pay by bank transfer – the tax office does not accept cash payments under § 35a.

Packing as a labour service

Packing by our team is a labour service – with a private move, this share can fall under § 35a, but the packing material cannot. With our packing service.

Company move

If a company moves, the costs are business expenses; a clearly structured invoice makes the bookkeeping easier for an office move.

Moving into a care home

Even with a private change of home in later life, the labour share can qualify under § 35a – we plan the senior move calmly.

Assembly

Furniture assembly and dismantling are listed separately on the invoice so that you can separate labour costs and materials cleanly, including for furniture transport.

CLEAR FIGURES

What you get from us for your tax return

Our fixed prices after a survey make not only budget planning easier, but also your later tax return.

Every line on the invoice can be assigned to an item in your tax return.

Fixed price in advance

After the survey you know the price – and therefore the amount you plan for in your tax return as work-related expenses or for § 35a.

Labour share shown

On request we separate labour, travel and material costs so that the qualifying share is immediately recognisable for a private move.

Invoice in your name

The invoice is made out to you and names the flat in which the service was provided – two details the tax office looks out for.

Payment by bank transfer

For § 35a the payment must go to an account; keep the bank statement together with the invoice.

Dates around your job

Once your new start date is fixed, we plan the move to fit – the date will later also appear on your invoice.

Complete documents

At the end you have the quote, invoice and proof of payment together – the basis for claiming moving costs.

SMALL LOADS

Part load: affordable and still documented

Small transports count too

With a part load (Beiladung), i.e. sharing a transport vehicle with other customers, you also receive an invoice. If the move is work-related, the costs are work-related expenses; with a private move, the labour share counts for § 35a.

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TAX KNOW-HOW

Three
cases, three sets of rules

Work-related, private, double housekeeping

When it comes to claiming moving costs, the reason for the move decides first: a work-related move leads to work-related expenses, a private one only to a tax reduction for the labour share. With a long-distance move for a new job, travel costs and possibly double rent are added. If you move into a second flat at your place of work, also check the rules on double housekeeping (doppelte Haushaltsführung). In our guides you will find the relevant details for each case.

Work-related

New employer, transfer or at least one hour less commuting a day: then transport, travel and the estate agent for the rented flat are work-related expenses – for a private move as for a student move to a first job.

A private move

Without a work connection, only the labour share of a packing service, furniture transport and small transport counts: 20 per cent of it reduces your tax, up to €4,000 a year for all household-related services.

Company and second home

With an office move or company move, the costs are business expenses; if you move into a second flat for work, check double housekeeping – small transports by part load can also be documented.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about claiming moving costs against tax

Answers on work-related reasons, § 35a, the flat rate, estate agents, double housekeeping and deadlines.

A move is considered work-related if it shortens your daily commuting time (there and back) by at least one hour, you start a new job, are transferred or take up employment for the first time. Moving into or out of a company flat in the employer's interest and setting up or ending double housekeeping also count. According to the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, judgment of 5.2.2025, VI R 3/23), moving merely to set up a study for the first time is not a work-related reason.

Which moving costs are tax-deductible?

In principle, the tax office distinguishes between work-related moves and private changes of residence. With a work-related reason – such as a new job, a transfer or if your daily commuting time is shortened by at least one hour – the moving costs are work-related expenses. These include transport costs including packing material, travel costs, estate agent's fees for a new rented flat (not for a purchase) and double rent if you still have to pay for the old flat because of the notice period.

If you are planning a long-distance move, you should document trips to view flats and the moving journey itself; with your own car, €0.30 per kilometre driven is usual. You do not have to document small items such as re-registration, new number plates or tips individually – they are covered by the flat rate for other moving expenses. Keep all other invoices and evidence carefully.

Moving expenses flat rate or individual evidence?

For other moving expenses, the tax office accepts a flat-rate amount without individual evidence. For moves from 1 March 2024, according to the BMF letter of 28.12.2023, this is €964 for the person moving and €643 for each additional person in the household; a separate flat rate for married couples has not existed since 2020. If you can document higher other expenses, you may claim these instead using individual evidence. Details and the current amounts can be found in the article Moving expenses flat rate.

Important: the flat rate does not replace the moving company's invoice. You always claim transport costs, including for a long-distance move over several hundred kilometres, in addition and with a receipt. Start a folder with invoices, bank statements and your employment contract from the outset so that no evidence is missing later.

What a move costs – the basis for your receipts

How much does a move cost? For a one-room flat prices start from €375, a two-room flat comes in at from €579, while a three-room flat costs from €905. For a four-room flat we charge from €1,329, and for a house or villa we prepare an individual quote. If a long-distance move is coming up, we calculate from €4.25/km. It is best to arrange a free survey straight away.

Which items determine the invoice amount

A large volume and a long distance (from €4.25/km) push the price up. High floors without a lift and a required parking restriction zone (Halteverbotszone) also add to it. Additional services such as furniture assembly and a part load also affect the final total.

Services with their own invoice line

We have specialised in different types of move in order to help you as well as possible.

Part load – Part load: save through shared transport
Private move – Private move: for every change of home
House clearance – House clearance: for a fresh start
Company move – Company move: for companies in every sector
Furniture transport – Furniture transport: for individual pieces of furniture
Move with assembly – Move with assembly: fully furnished in no time

Moving for work – from Berlin across Germany

We come from Berlin (Stromstraße 21) and handle moves right across Germany, however long the route. You can see destinations with their own page in the locations overview, and more on long routes under Long-distance moves.

Moving Costs & Prices

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August 27, 2026

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