Gewinnermittlung (or net determination letter) for freelance visa renewals in Germany

Your profit and loss statement is used to document your income and expenses for a specific financial year. In Germany the financial year runs just like the calendar, from January to December.

As a freelancer, you will always submit information about your income and expenses to the Finanzamt each year (if you are subject to VAT, you will of course also file monthly or quarterly VAT returns in addition to the yearly statement). 

But if you’re applying for a freelance visa renewal in Germany, you’ll need to prepare a more formalised Gewinnermittlung and have it signed off by a registered tax accountant.

The Gewinnermittlung is a key component of your application for a freelance visa renewal. The immigration office (often called the Ausländerbehörde, or now the Landesamt für Einwanderung in Berlin) will use the Gewinnermittlung to determine whether you have been making enough money to support yourself as a freelancer, and use this information to help decide whether to grant your via extension.

The good news is, you can save yourself some money (and often a long wait) by preparing the document yourself, using our handy template.

This Gewinnermittlung template can also be used when applying for a flat rental – landlords will often ask for a Gewinnermittlung as part of your rental application. As with the immigration office, it can go a long way in terms of establishing trust with a landlord to have your Gewinnermittlung signed off by a registered tax accountant even though there is no legal obligation to do so.

💡Tip: The Gewinnermittlung is sometimes referred to as the Netto Gewinnermittlung (in English: Net income determination or profit and loss statement).

Gewinnermittlung template

The number at the bottom, Steuerliche Gewinn, or taxable profit, will give your visa case worker a good indication of whether you are able to support yourself with your freelance work.

Once you have prepared your Gewinnermittlung, you’ll need to find a registered tax accountant to review it and sign it off. Make sure to keep all your invoices and receipts filed in case they need to check any details – this is also important in case you get audited by the Finanzamt.

💡 Tip from Accountable: Simply scan all your invoices and receipts and have them ready for any audit or for future reference.

Looking for an accountant to sign off your Gewinnermittlung?

Tax accountants are in hot demand in Germany, and getting the paperwork you need for your visa can often mean a long wait.

Thankfully, there’s another way: Accountable has a special offer for those needing to get a Gewinnermittlung signed off for a visa appointment.

Use the Accountable app to upload your invoices and expenses for the applicable period, and we will have one of our partner tax advisors review it and sign it off, ready for your visa appointment.

Simply sign up to our service and request your Gewinnermittlung in the app.