Deduct childcare costs in Germany

What are childcare costs?

Childcare costs are expenses for looking after a child, such as daycare (Kita), kindergarten care components, childminders, or similar services.

In practice, the most important rule is: it’s about childcare. Meal or catering costs often don’t qualify and should be separated.

Who can claim childcare costs?

In many cases, parents or guardians can claim childcare costs if they actually pay for them.

• The child typically lives in the household or is cared for in that context.
• You usually need an invoice, contract, or official fee notice showing service and period.
• Payment should be non-cash (bank transfer) so it’s traceable.

Separated parents can sometimes claim costs depending on who paid. For the quick check, it’s enough to track a clean total.

What counts as childcare and what doesn’t?

Typical costs that count as childcare:

• Daycare or kindergarten (childcare component).
• Childminder, babysitter, au pair (childcare service).
• After-school care or supervised afternoon programs.

Costs that often do not count or should be separated:

• Meals or catering costs (often excluded).
• Tutoring or lessons that are not primarily childcare.
• Travel costs unless clearly part of the childcare service.

What matters most is a plausible separation and a clean total, not perfect micro-optimization.

How much impact does it usually have?

The impact depends on income, filing situation, and your overall profile. But for many families it’s a relevant lever, especially when childcare was paid for many months.

That’s why SteuKompass shows a range instead of a single number. The quick check uses your total and estimates how strongly it likely matters in your situation.

What proof is typically needed?

For the actual tax return, documentation matters. The quick check requires no uploads, but you should know what’s typically needed.

• Invoice, contract, or official fee notice (Kita/childminder).
• Proof of payment (ideally bank transfer).
• A split if meals are billed separately.

If you already track clean totals, you save time later and reduce the chance of follow-up questions.

Common mistakes that cost money

The most common mistakes with childcare costs:

• Including meal components even though only childcare qualifies.
• No clean yearly total (monthly fees not added properly).
• Cash payments without a traceable payment trail.
• Mixing childcare and education (for example claiming tutoring as childcare).

SteuKompass can’t replace the official rules, but it guides you to the key points and shows the likely impact early.

Realistic estimate with the quick check

To decide whether filing is worth it, you don’t need 30 fields. Often, core wage tax statement numbers plus 2–3 strong drivers are enough: commuting, childcare, and §35a services.

In the quick check, you enter childcare as a total excluding meals. You’ll then see whether it likely contributes noticeably to your estimate.

Next steps

If the quick check suggests a refund, the next step is usually straightforward: use a tax app or start your return with structure. You already know the major drivers.

If the quick check suggests an extra payment, it may mean important items are missing. Re-check commuting, childcare, §35a, and other common work-related expenses.