Help and FAQ

No. Geldback is software that fills in official German forms from your own answers. It never asks for your bank login, never receives your refund or your Kindergeld, and never sends anything in your name. You see an estimate before you pay, and you pay a fixed price that is shown up front. The service is run by Morris Dragsbæk-Friis, a private person in Copenhagen, Denmark, and you can always write to [email protected]. A good rule for any service: never give anyone your bank password, and be careful with anyone who wants your refund paid to their account.

No. Geldback is independent. It is not part of the Finanzamt, the Familienkasse or any other authority, and it is not connected to them. It cannot make them decide faster or pay more. It helps you prepare complete forms and send them to the right address yourself.

Geldback is made for EU workers who are or were employed in Germany, mainly people from Romania, Bulgaria and Poland. The tax part is for employees whose income in Germany was their wage, for the years 2022 to 2025. The Kindergeld part is for parents whose children live in another EU country. It is not for self-employed people, and it cannot help with wages taxed at a flat rate, such as many Minijobs, because that tax is never paid back.

Answering the questions often takes less than an hour, if you have your documents ready. After you post the forms, the authority decides. A tax return can take several months. Kindergeld for children abroad often takes 4 to 6 months, because the Familienkasse checks with your home country.

A voluntary tax return can be filed for the last 4 years. The year 2022 must reach the Finanzamt by 31 December 2026, 2023 by 31 December 2027, 2024 by 31 December 2028 and 2025 by 31 December 2029. A postmark is not enough: the return must arrive in time. Kindergeld is different: it is paid back for at most 6 months before the month your application arrives.

Ask your employer, or your old employer, for a new copy. Your employer also sent the same data electronically to the tax office, so the information is not lost. If you had several employers in one year, you need the certificate from each of them.

First look at your Lohnsteuerbescheinigung or an old payslip: the 11-digit Steuer-ID is printed there. If you cannot find it, you can ask the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) to send it again. It is sent by post only, never by phone or email. This is also possible if you now live abroad.

No. You can use Geldback and send your tax return from your home country. If you no longer live in Germany, the return usually goes to the Finanzamt named on your Lohnsteuerbescheinigung. For Kindergeld, the parent who applies can live in the home country. If you live in Germany yourself, you add proof of your German address, like a rent contract.

You can use Geldback in Romanian, Bulgarian, Polish or English. The tax forms are in German, because the Finanzamt needs them that way. The Kindergeld forms are in German together with Romanian, Bulgarian or Polish.

The tax return costs 49 € for the first year and 29 € for each extra year. Kindergeld costs 59 €, for all your children. Both together cost 89 €, plus 29 € for each extra tax year. There is no commission on your refund. Agencies usually take 14 to 20 % instead.

You see an estimate before you pay. If the estimate shows there is nothing to get back, you do not pay anything. The estimate is not a promise: the Finanzamt or the Familienkasse decides the final amount, and it can be higher or lower.

Print the forms, sign them by hand and post them to the address Geldback gives you. Kindergeld forms can also be sent by fax. A scan or a photo sent by email is not accepted. Geldback does not file electronically and does not send anything for you. Keep a copy of everything, and post early if a deadline is close.

Kindergeld is paid to the parent the children live with. If the children live with your partner in your home country, your partner usually applies, even though you are the one working in Germany. Your work in Germany is what gives the family the right to it. Geldback asks where everyone lives and fills in the forms in the right person's name. The Familienkasse makes the final decision.

Your data is stored in the EU and encrypted. Geldback uses your Steuer-ID and the IDs of your family only with your clear consent and only to fill in your forms. You can ask to see your data or have it deleted at [email protected].

No. Geldback gives general information and fills in forms from your own answers. It is not a tax adviser. For personal advice, you can ask a licensed tax adviser (Steuerberater) or a wage tax help association (Lohnsteuerhilfeverein).