{"id":8943,"date":"2025-05-21T13:39:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T11:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/?p=8943"},"modified":"2025-05-21T13:43:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T11:43:01","slug":"mobility-freelancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/blog\/mobility-freelancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Mobility for the self-employed: How to deduct your car on your taxes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For many freelancers, staying mobile is essential to getting work done. Whether it&#8217;s commuting to your workspace, meeting clients in different locations, or traveling to important events and seminars \u2014 getting around is often just part of the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how does it actually work when it comes to deducting car expenses from your taxes? Does it make sense to get a company car (<em>Gesch\u00e4ftswagen<\/em>)? And how do you figure out the so-called&nbsp;<em>Kilometerpauschale<\/em>&nbsp;\u2014 the standard mileage allowance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll walk you through all of that here, along with everything else you need to know about using a car or public transportation (<em>\u00f6ffentliche Verkehrsmittel<\/em>) in your freelance business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What transportation costs can I deduct from my taxes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you drive a lot for your freelance work, the good news is: Many of those costs are tax-deductible. That applies not just to longer business trips, but also to shorter drives within your hometown. These expenses fall under travel and transportation costs, and you can claim them on your taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, here are the kinds of expenses you can deduct:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The cost of buying a company car <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leasing fees for a company car<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insurance for a company car<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public transportation tickets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fuel costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flat-rate mileage deductions (<em>Kilometerpauschale<\/em>) for business-related trips<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the key requirement is that these costs must be directly related to your self-employed work. So, unfortunately, that weekend getaway or a visit to friends in another city doesn\u2019t count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I use my personal car for business purposes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re using your own car for work, it makes a difference whether it\u2019s a personal vehicle or a company car (<em>Firmenwagen<\/em>) \u2014 and how much of the car\u2019s overall use is actually for business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you use your personal car for business trips, but those trips make up&nbsp;<strong>no more than 10%<\/strong>&nbsp;of the total usage, the car is automatically considered a&nbsp;<strong>private vehicle<\/strong>. In that case, you can still deduct your driving costs using the&nbsp;<strong>standard mileage allowance<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>Kilometerpauschale<\/em>). More on that in a moment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If business use is between&nbsp;<strong>10% and 50%<\/strong>, you can&nbsp;<strong>choose<\/strong>&nbsp;whether the car is counted as part of your personal assets or your business assets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If more than&nbsp;<strong>50% of the car\u2019s use is for business<\/strong>, it\u2019s officially considered a&nbsp;<strong>company car<\/strong>, and you can deduct a wider range of expenses related to it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1The easiest way to handle this? Use a tax tool like&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/\">Accountable<\/a><\/strong>. It walks you through <a href=\"https:\/\/help.accountable.eu\/en\/articles\/9382389-how-can-i-deduct-my-car-expenses\">how to enter your car details<\/a> and automatically applies the right deductions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deducting travel costs from your taxes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few ways to deduct travel expenses from your taxes \u2014 and it mainly depends on whether your car is considered a company car or a personal vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This overview will help you figure out what applies in your case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>How much do you use the car for business (as a % of total use)<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Your car is considered<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>What you can deduct<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Less than 10%<\/strong><\/td><td>Personal vehicle<\/td><td>Standard commuter allowance (<em>Pendlerpauschale<\/em>) + additional business-related travel costs<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>10% \u2013 50%<\/strong><\/td><td>You decide<\/td><td>Depends on whether you classify the car as part of your business or private assets<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>More than 50%<\/strong><\/td><td>Business asset (<em>Betriebsverm\u00f6gen<\/em>)<\/td><td>Either actual costs (via the&nbsp;<strong>1% rule<\/strong>) or proportional costs (using a&nbsp;<strong>logbook<\/strong>&nbsp;\/&nbsp;<em>Fahrtenbuch<\/em>)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Not sure what the 1% rule or logbook method means? Don\u2019t worry \u2014 we\u2019ll explain that next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deducting travel costs using the commuter allowance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you only use your personal car for short work-related trips but still want to save on taxes, the&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/blog\/travel-expenses-self-employed-mileage-allowance\/\">commuter allowance<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 known in German as the&nbsp;<em>Pendlerpauschale<\/em>&nbsp;(also called&nbsp;<em>Entfernungspauschale<\/em>) \u2014 is your go-to option when filing your tax return. And here\u2019s the good news: you don\u2019t have to drive to claim it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you prefer to walk, bike, or take public transport for those short distances, you can still use the commuter allowance. What matters is the distance \u2014 the number of kilometers between your home and your regular place of work (whether that\u2019s an office, a client\u2019s location, or a co-working space).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how the allowance works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For the&nbsp;<strong>first 20 kilometers<\/strong>, you can deduct&nbsp;<strong>\u20ac0.30 per kilometer<\/strong>&nbsp;(one-way).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>From the&nbsp;<strong>21st kilometer onward<\/strong>, you can deduct&nbsp;<strong>\u20ac0.38 per kilometer<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 a rate that has applied since 2022.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you take public transportation, there\u2019s a general&nbsp;<strong>maximum deduction limit of \u20ac4,500<\/strong>&nbsp;via the commuter allowance. However, if your actual commuting costs (e.g., train or bus passes) are higher than that, you can still claim them \u2014 you\u2019ll just need to provide receipts as proof. So be sure to hang on to your tickets or monthly passes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Important: That \u20ac4,500 limit&nbsp;<strong>does not apply<\/strong>&nbsp;if you drive your own car or use a company car (<em>Dienstwagen<\/em>). In those cases, the full mileage allowance can be claimed, no cap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind:<br>The calculation is based on your&nbsp;<strong>actual workdays<\/strong>&nbsp;in the calendar year, and you can only claim the&nbsp;<strong>one-way distance<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 meaning just the trip from home to work. The return trip doesn&#8217;t count toward the deduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1<strong>Tip from Accountable:<\/strong>&nbsp;The tax office usually assumes you take the&nbsp;<strong>shortest route<\/strong>&nbsp;by distance. But there\u2019s an exception: if you regularly take a&nbsp;<strong>longer but faster<\/strong>&nbsp;route \u2014 for example, using a bypass to avoid city center traffic \u2014 you can claim that distance instead. Just be ready to explain why it\u2019s the more reasonable option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deducting travel costs for a personal car as a business expense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also claim your&nbsp;<strong>private car<\/strong>&nbsp;as a&nbsp;<strong>business expense<\/strong>. That means you&#8217;re allowed to deduct not only fuel costs, but also car tax (<em>Kfz-Steuer<\/em>), insurance, maintenance, and even depreciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works:<br>You calculate the total annual costs for the car and divide that by the number of kilometers driven in total. This gives you a&nbsp;<strong>personal cost-per-kilometer rate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can then deduct that rate \u2014 but&nbsp;<strong>only for the business portion<\/strong>&nbsp;of your driving. Personal trips are not tax-deductible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do you track the difference between personal and business use? That\u2019s exactly what we\u2019ll cover in the next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u27a1\ufe0f Want to see how to claim your travel costs step-by-step in your income tax return? <a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/?p=1060\">We explain it all right here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deducting costs for a company car<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If your car qualifies as a&nbsp;<strong>company car<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>Firmenwagen<\/em>) \u2014 meaning more than 10% of your total mileage is for business purposes \u2014 you can deduct the vehicle expenses from your taxes as a self-employed person. These costs count as&nbsp;<strong>business expenses<\/strong>, or&nbsp;<em>Betriebsausgaben<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The purchase price (handled through depreciation \u2014 more on that in a later section)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Car insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vehicle inspections (like Germany\u2019s T\u00dcV)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintenance and repairs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fuel costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But here\u2019s the catch: if you also use the car privately, you\u2019ll need to clearly separate private and business use. Why? Because using a company car for personal reasons counts as a&nbsp;<strong>taxable non-cash benefit<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>geldwerter Vorteil<\/em>), and that part must be taxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a freelancer, you have two options to track the split between personal and professional use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The&nbsp;<strong>1% rule<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A&nbsp;<strong>logbook<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>Fahrtenbuch<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll walk you through both methods in the next section so you can choose what works best for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 1% Rule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you choose to use the&nbsp;<strong>1% rule<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>1%-Regelung<\/em>), you\u2019ll be taxed each month on 1% of your car\u2019s official list price (<em>Bruttolistenpreis<\/em>) as a&nbsp;<strong>non-cash benefit<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>geldwerter Vorteil<\/em>) for private use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<br>If your car\u2019s list price (including any accessories) was \u20ac40,000, 1% of that is \u20ac400. This amount is added to your taxable income each month, increasing the overall income you pay tax on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The upside?<br>This rule covers&nbsp;<strong>all<\/strong>&nbsp;private use of the car \u2014 including holiday trips or weekend outings \u2014 and you don\u2019t need to track individual private journeys. However, you can&nbsp;<strong>only use the 1% rule if more than 50% of your car\u2019s use is for business purposes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Logbook method (<em>Fahrtenbuch<\/em>)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, you can keep a&nbsp;<strong>logbook<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>Fahrtenbuch<\/em>) to track every single trip and distinguish clearly between personal and professional use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the year, only the&nbsp;<strong>actual private use<\/strong>&nbsp;of the car is taxed as a non-cash benefit \u2014 based on your precise records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To use this method, each trip must be documented in detail with the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Destination<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Purpose of the trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Odometer reading at the start and end of the trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any unavoidable detours (if applicable)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, it\u2019s more work \u2014 but it can pay off if your private use is low and the car\u2019s value is high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1% Rule or Logbook \u2013 Which is better?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>That depends on your situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If your car\u2019s list price is relatively low&nbsp;<strong>and<\/strong>&nbsp;you use it mostly for private purposes, the&nbsp;<strong>1% rule<\/strong>&nbsp;is likely the simpler and more cost-effective option.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But if you drive a lot for business and your car has a higher value, keeping a&nbsp;<strong>logbook<\/strong>&nbsp;might result in significantly lower tax costs \u2014 and be worth the extra effort.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Depreciation for company cars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a self-employed person, when you make a purchase that costs more than \u20ac1,000, you can\u2019t deduct the full amount in a single year. Instead, you\u2019ll need to spread the cost over a specific period \u2014 this is called&nbsp;<strong>depreciation<\/strong>, or&nbsp;<em>Abschreibung<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The length of this period, known as the&nbsp;<strong>useful life<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>Nutzungsdauer<\/em>), is set by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesfinanzministerium.de\/Content\/DE\/Standardartikel\/Themen\/Steuern\/Weitere_Steuerthemen\/Betriebspruefung\/AfA-Tabellen\/Ergaenzende-AfA-Tabellen\/AfA-Tabelle_AV.html\">German Ministry of Finance<\/a> \u2014 and for cars, it\u2019s fixed at&nbsp;<strong>six years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example: How Depreciation Works<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say you buy a car for \u20ac60,000 (net).<br>You\u2019ll need to write off the purchase over six years. That means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You can deduct&nbsp;<strong>\u20ac10,000 per year<\/strong>&nbsp;as a business expense<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This reduces your taxable profit by \u20ac10,000 annually \u2014 for six years in total<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So instead of a one-time deduction, the cost of the car gradually lowers your tax bill over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Special case: E-Mobility and tax benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To encourage the switch to electric vehicles, Germany offers several tax advantages when you buy a battery-powered company car or a plug-in hybrid for business use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One major benefit:<br>For&nbsp;<strong>fully electric cars<\/strong>, the&nbsp;<strong>taxable non-cash benefit<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>geldwerter Vorteil<\/em>) is reduced \u2014 instead of the usual 1% of the car\u2019s list price (<em>Bruttolistenpreis<\/em>),&nbsp;<strong>only 0.5%<\/strong>&nbsp;is applied. That means a lower amount is added to your taxable income compared to using a traditional gas or diesel company car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it gets even better:<br>Since 2020, if your fully electric company car has a list price of&nbsp;<strong>no more than \u20ac60,000<\/strong>, only&nbsp;<strong>0.25%<\/strong>&nbsp;of the list price is taxed as a benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to the&nbsp;<strong>Growth Opportunities Act<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>Wachstumschancengesetz<\/em>) passed in spring 2024, the threshold was increased. Now, retroactive to&nbsp;<strong>January 1, 2024<\/strong>, electric company cars with a list price of&nbsp;<strong>up to \u20ac70,000<\/strong>&nbsp;still qualify for the&nbsp;<strong>0.25% rule<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your electric car costs more than \u20ac70,000 \u2014 or you drive a&nbsp;<strong>plug-in hybrid<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 the&nbsp;<strong>0.5% rule<\/strong>&nbsp;applies.<br>\ud83d\udc49 Important: Plug-in hybrids only qualify if they have a&nbsp;<strong>fully electric range of at least 60 km<\/strong>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<strong>CO\u2082 emissions of no more than 50g per km<\/strong>, based on the WLTP standard.<br>These rules are expected to stay in effect until the&nbsp;<strong>end of 2030<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Charging benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tax breaks also apply to&nbsp;<strong>charging your EV<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Charging at work \u2014 whether free or at a reduced rate \u2014 is always&nbsp;<strong>tax-free<\/strong>, even if you\u2019re using a company charging card.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can also deduct electricity costs for charging at home using flat-rate allowances (<em>Pauschalen<\/em>) introduced in 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s a&nbsp;<strong>charging option at your workplace<\/strong>&nbsp;or a&nbsp;<strong>charging card provided<\/strong>, you can deduct:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u20ac30\/month for fully electric cars<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u20ac15\/month for plug-in hybrids<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about purchase subsidies?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>no longer a government rebate<\/strong>&nbsp;for buying electric vehicles (as of late 2023), but the&nbsp;<strong>car tax exemption (<em>Kfz-Steuerbefreiung<\/em>) still applies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can benefit from&nbsp;<strong>up to 10 years<\/strong>&nbsp;of exemption from vehicle tax \u2014 but keep in mind:<br>This benefit also&nbsp;<strong>ends on December 31, 2030<\/strong>, so if you buy an EV now, you won\u2019t get the full 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Claiming costs for other modes of transport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re self-employed, you\u2019re not limited to just writing off car expenses \u2013 you can also deduct costs for other types of transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bikes and E-Bikes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t own a car or mostly get around by bike, you can not only claim work-related trips using the&nbsp;<em>Kilometerpauschale<\/em>&nbsp;(flat rate per kilometer), but even deduct the purchase price of the bike \u2013 as long as you use it for business at least 10% of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This applies not only to regular bicycles but also to pedelecs, e-bikes, (e-)mountain bikes, and racing bikes. In general, it covers all bikes that don\u2019t require a vehicle registration or license plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To prove business use, the same rules apply as with a company car: you can either keep a detailed logbook (<em>Fahrtenbuch<\/em>) or use the&nbsp;<em>1% rule<\/em>. With bikes, however, the&nbsp;<em>1% rule<\/em>&nbsp;only applies to one quarter of the purchase price \u2013 not the full amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your business use falls between 10\u201350%, you can choose whether the bike is considered part of your business assets. If it&#8217;s more than 50%, it automatically counts as a business asset. In that case, you can deduct the cost from your taxes. If the bike costs less than \u20ac1,000, you can write off the entire amount right away. For more expensive bikes, you\u2019ll need to depreciate it over its official useful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Public Transportation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use public transportation for business purposes, you can choose between applying the&nbsp;<em>Kilometerpauschale<\/em>&nbsp;(flat rate per kilometer) or deducting the actual costs of your tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s worth doing a quick calculation to see which option gives you the better tax advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Important: Be sure to keep all your receipts \u2013 they serve as proof that the trips were business-related. With <a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/\">Accountable\u2019s<\/a> receipt scanner, for example, you can easily save your tickets digitally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flights and train travel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, your freelance work may require longer business trips by train or even plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While air travel isn\u2019t covered by the&nbsp;<em>Kilometerpauschale<\/em>&nbsp;(mileage allowance), you can still deduct it\u2014provided the trip had a clear business purpose, like a client meeting, a professional seminar, or a job-related training session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Commercial vehicles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A vehicle is classified as a commercial vehicle (<em>Nutzfahrzeug<\/em>) if it\u2019s marked with an \u201cN\u201d or \u201cM\u201d in field J of its registration certificate. This includes vans, pick-ups, and transporters. If your vehicle doesn\u2019t have this classification, it won\u2019t be considered a commercial vehicle for tax purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use a commercial vehicle strictly for business, you can deduct 100% of its related expenses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Purchase cost of the business vehicle (depreciated over time)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leasing costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insurance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fuel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintenance and repair costs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Just make sure to keep receipts or invoices for each expense\u2014you\u2019ll need them when filing your taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1&nbsp;<em>Accountable tip:<\/em>&nbsp;You don\u2019t need a car to deduct travel costs as a freelancer. Whether it\u2019s a bike, a train ride, or a commercial van\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/\">Accountable<\/a> lets you log all these expenses easily and helps you save on taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ: Travel expenses and taxes for freelancers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can I deduct my car as a freelancer?<\/strong><br>Yes, it&#8217;s possible \u2013 as long as the car is used (at least partially) for business purposes. It&#8217;s important to be able to prove the business usage share \u2013 for example, through a logbook. Ongoing costs such as fuel, repairs, insurance, and maintenance can also be deducted proportionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can I deduct a car as a small business owner (Kleinunternehmer)<\/strong>?<br>Yes, the same tax rules apply to small business owners as to other freelancers. The key factor is the business use and its documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is a company car worth it for freelancers?<\/strong><br>If you&#8217;re frequently on the road for work, a company car can be worthwhile \u2013 not only financially but also organizationally. You can deduct the purchase, operating, and maintenance costs. If you also use the car privately, you must tax the private portion \u2013 via the 1% rule or a logbook. Which method is more beneficial depends on the vehicle&#8217;s value and your usage pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1&nbsp;<em>Tip from Accountable:<\/em>&nbsp;With the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.accountable.eu\/login\">app<\/a>, you can easily manage your travel expenses, receipts, and tax obligations \u2013 all digitally. Tax coaches are available to assist you personally via chat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many freelancers, staying mobile is essential to getting work done. Whether it&#8217;s commuting to your workspace, meeting clients in different locations, or traveling to important events and seminars \u2014 getting around is often just part of the job. But how does it actually work when it comes to deducting car expenses from your taxes? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":7120,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[183],"tags":[318,319,342],"class_list":["post-8943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deduct-expenses","tag-allowances","tag-save-taxes","tag-steuern-sparen-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mobility for the self-employed: How to deduct your car on your taxes | Accountable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how freelancers can deduct travel expenses for cars, bikes, public transport, and how to use the Pendlerpauschale.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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