Understanding the Finanzamt – Change of VAT period letter

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The Finanzamt sent you a letter and you're not sure what to do now? No worries, when the amount of VAT you filed the year before falls into a certain bracket, you will get a letter telling you when to submit your VAT return for this year. In this article, we explain what information you can take from this letter step by step.

When to submit your VAT - general rules

When it comes to your VAT return, you can't choose when to submit it to the Finanzamt yourself. There are certain rules that determine when you need to file your VAT.

• In your first year of being self-employed and in the following year: always monthly VAT return
• Your total VAT was less than 1,000€ in the previous year: No VAT throughout the year, only the yearly VAT return
• Your total VAT was between 1,000€ and 7.500€ in the previous year: Quarterly VAT return
• Your total VAT was higher than 7,500€ in the previous year: Monthly VAT return

Change of VAT return  - notification via letter

So if your VAT amount in the previous year was between 1,000 to 7,500€, you need to submit your VAT return for this year every quarter. That's when you'll get a letter by the Finanzamt notifying you about those changes.

Even when this year the amount of your VAT return will be less than 1,000€ or more than 7,5000€, you are still required to file your VAT quarterly.

When is your next VAT return due?

The next paragraph of the letter tells you when to submit your first quarterly VAT return. If it will be the 2nd quarter, for example, you would need to submit the VAT until the 10th of July. It's always the 10th of the month that follows the quarter. This date also applies to the according VAT payment.

Tip from Accountable💡: You need to submit your VAT quarterly? Or monthly, or yearly? You can do it directly in the Accountable app, we've got you covered for every scenario!

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Author - Sophia Merzbach

Sophia has been a key member of the Accountable team for many years, bringing a unique blend of journalistic precision and in-depth tax expertise to her work.

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