Germany Travel Expense Calculator (Reisekosten)

Freelancers use this tool to quickly calculate how much travel overhead they can deduct from their annual tax returns, instantly saving money.

Employees use it to double-check their monthly expense reports before submitting them to HR, ensuring they get every cent they are owed.

Small business owners use it to set clear travel budgets and understand the exact tax-free limits they can pay out to their team.

Expats moving to Germany use it to get a quick handle on how local tax laws differ from their home countries when traveling for work.

What exactly counts as a 'business trip' in Germany?

To qualify for Reisekosten, you must be working away from both your home and your primary workplace (what the tax office calls your 'erste Tätigkeitsstätte'). This could be visiting a client, attending a seminar, or working at a temporary project site. Commuting to your regular daily office does not count as a business trip. If you are a freelancer, any travel to a client's location generally qualifies.

Do I need to keep my restaurant receipts to claim the food allowance?

No, you actually don't need to save your lunch or dinner receipts for the meal allowance! Germany uses a flat-rate system called Verpflegungsmehraufwand (Tagegeld), which pays you a set amount based on your time away. However, you must keep records of your travel times and locations to prove you were away. If you spend more than the flat rate, you unfortunately cannot claim the actual food costs—the flat rate is the legal limit.

What happens if my hotel booking includes a free breakfast?

If your hotel stay includes breakfast (or if your employer pays for it), you must reduce your daily meal allowance. German tax law requires a 20% reduction of the full-day rate, which means subtracting €5.60 from your allowance for that day. This rule applies even if you slept in and skipped the breakfast entirely! The reduction is based on the fact that the meal was made available to you.

Can I claim mileage if I ride a motorcycle or bicycle instead of a car?

Yes, you can still claim travel expenses for other vehicles, but the rates are different. While a personal car gets you €0.30 per kilometer, a motorcycle or scooter qualifies for €0.20 per kilometer. If you ride an e-bike or a regular bicycle, there is no standard statutory flat-rate mileage, but you may be able to deduct actual proven maintenance costs. Public transit, of course, is always reimbursed at the exact ticket price.

Why did my meal allowance get cut when a client bought me lunch?

Under German rules, if a client or your employer provides a free meal, your allowance for that day must be reduced. Lunch or dinner reduces your daily allowance by 40% of the full-day rate, which is a deduction of €11.20. This prevents double-dipping, since you didn't have to spend your own money on that meal. The calculator handles these deductions automatically so you don't have to do the math.

What is the 'three-month rule' for long-term business trips?

If you work at the same temporary business location for more than three consecutive months, it legally becomes your new primary workplace. Once this happens, you can no longer claim tax-free meal allowances (Tagegeld) for that location. The three-month clock resets if you interrupt your work there for at least four weeks. This rule is designed to stop people from claiming permanent travel allowances for long-term assignments.

How do international business trips work for travel expenses?

For trips outside Germany, you don't use the standard €14 and €28 rates. Instead, the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) publishes a comprehensive list of daily allowances for almost every country and major city worldwide, updated every year. For instance, staying in London or New York has a much higher daily meal allowance to reflect the higher cost of living. Our calculator lets you input these custom rates to keep your international claims accurate.