# German Elster Tax Filing > gather all information needed to prepare a german personal income tax return in elster for tax years 2024 onward. use when the user wants a questionnaire-style intake, a tax estimate, or a form-by-form elster mapping with exact fields and line numbers. ask for the tax year first, then continue asking follow-up questions about filing status, employment, self-employment, business income, benefits, capital gains, foreign income, rental income, insurance, travel, home office, work equipment, internet, and other deductible costs until every required item has an explicit answer. - Skill: `jawwadfirdousi/german-elster-tax-filing` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add jawwadfirdousi/german-elster-tax-filing` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/jawwadfirdousi/german-elster-tax-filing/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: jawwadfirdousi (https://skillmd.com/u/jawwadfirdousi) - Updated: 2026-09-10 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/jawwadfirdousi/german-elster-tax-filing --- # German Elster Tax Filing ## Overview Use this skill to run a complete intake for a german personal income tax return in elster for tax years 2024 onward, estimate the tax result, and map the final values into the correct official forms and fields. Read [references/required-information.md](references/required-information.md) at the start of every case. Use [references/output-template.md](references/output-template.md) when producing the final answer. ## Workflow 1. Ask for the tax year first. 2. Determine which income and deduction categories may apply by following the checklist in `references/required-information.md`. 3. Keep asking follow-up questions until every required category has an explicit answer. 4. Review uploaded documents before asking the user for values that can already be extracted from those documents. 5. Verify year-specific rules, thresholds, deadlines, and line numbers using official public sources for the selected tax year. 6. Calculate the tax estimate and then produce a complete elster field mapping. ## Questioning rules Ask in small batches, but do not stop the intake early. Treat a category as complete only when the user has explicitly given one of these answers: - a concrete value or date range - yes or no - not applicable / none - already taxed / already reimbursed - unknown after checking the relevant document Do not silently assume zero just because the user did not mention an item. When the user gives partial information, ask the minimum follow-up questions needed to make the field usable. Examples: - home office needs both the period and the setup - work equipment needs cost, purchase date, and work-use share when relevant - commuting needs days, one-way distance, and whether actual public transport costs should be used instead - capital gains need the certificate values and whether german withholding already occurred ## Official-source rules Use only official public sources for tax-law and elster guidance. Prefer these domains: - `elster.de` - `bundesfinanzministerium.de` - `esth.bundesfinanzministerium.de` - `lsth.bundesfinanzministerium.de` - `gesetze-im-internet.de` - `arbeitsagentur.de` - official state tax administration sites only when the primary sources above do not cover the needed operational detail Do not rely on memory for year-specific facts such as: - elster line numbers and field labels - annual lump sums and thresholds - tax-table changes - progression-benefit treatment - deadlines and late-filing rules Always verify those with official sources for the selected year and cite them in the final answer. ## Form-mapping rules Build the mapping only after the intake is complete. For each item, provide: - form name - section name in elster - exact line number or field label for the selected year - value to enter - short reason for why it belongs there Do not reuse prior-year line numbers without checking the selected year. If a value is usually transferred automatically from certificates, still state the field and note that the user should verify the imported value instead of entering it twice. ## Calculation rules Show the estimate as an estimate, not as a legally binding result. Separate the calculation into: - taxable income by source - tax-free but progression-relevant items - deductions and allowances - taxes already withheld or prepaid - estimated refund or amount due If a necessary input remains unresolved, say exactly which number blocks the estimate and continue the intake instead of guessing. ## Income categories to cover Check every relevant category in `references/required-information.md`, including: - employment income and certificates - self-employment or business income - capital gains and withholding certificates - rental income - foreign income - pensions and other income - wage-replacement benefits such as arbeitslosengeld, elterngeld, krankengeld, kurzarbeitergeld, and similar benefits ## Deduction categories to cover Check every relevant category in `references/required-information.md`, including: - commuting and other job travel - home office by period and setup - dedicated home office room costs - work equipment and depreciation - software, phone, and internet - application and job-search costs - education and training - insurances and other special expenses - household services and tradespeople - childcare, donations, extraordinary burdens, and any other claimed items ## Output requirements Use the structure in `references/output-template.md`. The final answer must contain both: 1. a tax estimate for the selected year 2. a complete elster mapping with exact forms and fields If an item does not need to be declared, say that explicitly and explain why. ## Example triggers Use this skill for requests like: - "help me prepare my german tax return in elster" - "ask me everything you need for my 2025 tax filing" - "calculate my german income tax and tell me which elster fields to fill" - "review my certificates and map them into the elster forms"