{"id":9118,"date":"2025-06-25T16:14:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T14:14:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/?p=9118"},"modified":"2025-06-25T16:14:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T14:14:37","slug":"meal-allowance-self-employed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/blog\/meal-allowance-self-employed\/","title":{"rendered":"Meal Allowances (Verpflegungspauschale) in Germany: How freelancers can claim additional meal expenses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For many freelancers, business trips, both within Germany and abroad, are part of the job. But what many don\u2019t realize is how much tax they could save with proper travel expense documentation. In this article, we\u2019ll show you how to make the most of the\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0(daily meal allowance) as a self-employed professional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Verpflegungsmehraufwand &#8211; what you need to know<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though the process can be a bit more complex for freelancers than it is for regular employees, who simply collect their receipts and hand them over to their employer, tracking your travel expenses is always worth it if you\u2019re self-employed. One keyword here:\u00a0<strong>Verpflegungspauschale<\/strong>\u00a0(flat-rate meal allowance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A business trip doesn\u2019t just mean working on-site with a client. It also includes attending trade shows, training sessions, or basically any out-of-office appointments that support your professional development. And the good news is: you can deduct all the related costs in your tax return. That includes travel, accommodation, incidental expenses and yes, food too. The specific allowance that covers meal costs is called\u00a0<strong>Verpflegungsmehraufwand<\/strong>\u00a0(additional meal expenses).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea behind it is simple: when you&#8217;re on a business trip, you don\u2019t have access to your own kitchen, so you\u2019re more or less forced to eat out &#8211; at restaurants, caf\u00e9s, bakeries, or wherever else you can grab a bite. That leads to higher costs, and to help ease the financial burden, the\u00a0Verpflegungspauschale\u00a0can be applied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One major upside of this flat-rate allowance: you\u00a0don\u2019t need to keep every single receipt\u00a0from your meals on the road, so no more fishing around for slips from highway rest stops or snack bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1\u00a0<strong>Tip from Accountable:<\/strong>\u00a0Download the free Accountable tax app to scan receipts on the go &#8211; so you never miss a deductible expense again! In this article, we walk you through the <a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/blog\/tax-allowance\/\">9 most relevant allowances for freelancers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>The meal allowance breakdown for freelancers<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Domestic meal allowances (Verpflegungspauschale im Inland)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Germany, the&nbsp;<strong>Verpflegungspauschale<\/strong>&nbsp;(flat-rate meal allowance) follows a simple two-tier system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you&#8217;re away from your regular work location for\u00a0<strong>at least 8 hours<\/strong>, you can claim\u00a0<strong>\u20ac14<\/strong>\u00a0for that day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For\u00a0<strong>full 24-hour trips<\/strong>, the allowance increases to\u00a0<strong>\u20ac28<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On\u00a0<strong>travel days<\/strong>, meaning the day you leave and the day you return, you can also claim\u00a0\u20ac14\u00a0each, even if you&#8217;re not on the road for a full eight hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This flat-rate system saves you from having to document every sandwich or coffee along the way and still helps you reduce your tax bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meal allowances abroad (Verpflegungspauschale im Ausland)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you&#8217;re traveling abroad for business, the\u00a0<strong>Verpflegungspauschale<\/strong>\u00a0(meal allowance) works a little differently. The daily rates vary depending on which country you&#8217;re visiting and in some cases, even by region within that country. Also important: these rates are updated regularly. So before you head off on an international trip, it\u2019s a good idea to check the\u00a0<strong>current allowance rates<\/strong>. You\u2019ll find the official list on the website of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesfinanzministerium.de\/Content\/DE\/Downloads\/BMF_Schreiben\/Steuerarten\/Lohnsteuer\/2024-12-02-steuerliche-behandlung-reisekosten-2025.html\">German Federal Ministry of Finance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Things can get a bit more complicated if you\u2019re staying at a hotel where meals are included in the booking. In those cases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If\u00a0breakfast\u00a0is listed on the bill,\u00a020%\u00a0of the full-day allowance (usually \u20ac28) must be deducted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If\u00a0lunch or dinner\u00a0is included, you deduct\u00a040%\u00a0per meal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The key is that these meals must be\u00a0itemised on the invoice &#8211; only then does the deduction apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This also goes for meals you receive for free at\u00a0conferences, workshops, or similar events, or even if you\u2019re invited out to eat. And yes, that includes\u00a0private invitations. So if a friend or relative happens to live in the city where you\u2019re attending a meeting and treats you to lunch, you\u2019re still expected to deduct 40% from your daily allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1Important to know: the total amount of deductions can never exceed the daily allowance. So if the calculated deduction would push the number into the negative, it\u2019s simply set to\u00a0\u20ac0 for that day &#8211; never less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Meal expenses (Verpflegungsmehraufwand): Flat-rate allowances (Verpflegungspauschalen) for freelancers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The\u00a0<strong>Verpflegungspauschale<\/strong>\u00a0(flat-rate meal allowance) is a great way for freelancers and self-employed professionals to deduct food expenses when traveling for work. But while the concept is similar to what&#8217;s available for employees, there are some\u00a0important differences- especially when it comes to how and when these allowances need to be reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When do you need to reduce the meal allowance (Verpflegungspauschale)?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a general rule, your\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0(flat-rate meal allowance) must be reduced if meals are already provided at no extra cost &#8211; such as a hotel breakfast or meals included at an event. However, for the self-employed, some special rules apply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hotel bill with clearly listed breakfast<\/strong><br>If your hotel invoice shows the cost of breakfast separately (e.g., \u20ac15 plus VAT), you\u00a0don\u2019t need to reduce\u00a0your\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0by 20%. Instead, you simply\u00a0can\u2019t claim the breakfast\u00a0as a separate business expense. But you\u00a0can\u00a0deduct the included VAT.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hotel bill without a separate breakfast price<\/strong><br>If the breakfast isn\u2019t listed separately, your hotel cost will be reduced by a flat 20% of the daily allowance (\u20ac28), which comes to\u00a0\u20ac4.80. The\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0itself stays\u00a0untouched.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Free meals at events or by invitation<\/strong><br>Unlike employees, self-employed people don\u2019t need to reduce their\u00a0<em>Verpflegungsmehraufwand<\/em>\u00a0if meals are provided free of charge &#8211; whether by a business contact (e.g., at a seminar or client meeting)\u00a0<strong>or<\/strong>\u00a0privately (like a friend or family member). <br>That means: even if a friend in the city invites you for lunch while you\u2019re there for a meeting, you&#8217;re\u00a0technically not required\u00a0to deduct 40%. However, it&#8217;s still common practice to do so, especially if the meal replaces one you\u2019d normally pay for. If the total deductions would exceed your allowance for that day, it simply becomes zero &#8211; you never end up in the negative.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Meals you pay for when hosting clients<\/strong><br>If you treat a client to a meal, say, dinner for \u20ac100 plus \u20ac19 VAT, you can write off\u00a070%\u00a0of the food costs as a business expense. Your\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0remains\u00a0unaffected, since it\u2019s considered separately.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Meals included during transport (e.g., on a train)<\/strong><br>If food is included in your ticket, and the meal price is listed, you should deduct that amount from your travel costs. If the price isn\u2019t stated, the allowance is reduced by a flat\u00a020%\u00a0(for breakfast) or\u00a040%\u00a0(for lunch or dinner), depending on the time of day. The\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0itself stays in place.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Real-life examples: How the meal allowance works in practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 1: Training trip with hotel breakfast<\/strong><br>Freelance editor Tina travels from Munich to Berlin for a training session. Her hotel includes breakfast, listed separately at \u20ac15. During the seminar, lunch is provided for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Breakdown:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Day 1 (arrival):<\/strong>\u00a0\u20ac14\u00a0<em>Verpflegungsmehraufwand<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Day 2 (full day):<\/strong>\u00a0\u20ac28\u00a0<em>Verpflegungsmehraufwand<\/em>, breakfast (\u20ac15)\u00a0not claimable, lunch is ignored<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Day 3 (departure):<\/strong>\u00a0\u20ac14\u00a0<em>Verpflegungsmehraufwand<\/em>, breakfast again\u00a0not claimable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Total claim:<\/strong>\u00a0\u20ac14 + \u20ac28 + \u20ac14 =\u00a0\u20ac56<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Example 2: Business meeting with a lunch invitation<\/strong><br>IT specialist Martin travels from Cologne to Frankfurt for a meeting and is invited to lunch by his client. The trip lasts more than 8 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Breakdown:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Verpflegungsmehraufwand:<\/em>\u00a0\u20ac14<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No deduction\u00a0necessary, since the client paid for the meal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Total claim:\u00a0\u20ac14<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1\u00a0<strong>Accountable Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Want to learn how to claim all your travel costs properly? Check out our guide on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/blog\/travel-expenses-self-employed-mileage-allowance\/\">submit your full business travel expenses<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits of the meal allowance (<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>) for freelancers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a freelancer or self-employed person, you can take advantage of the\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0without having to follow the strict deduction rules that apply to employees. One of the biggest benefits is that you don\u2019t need to keep every single meal receipt &#8211; making the process much simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1\u00a0<strong>Accountable is the tax solution built for the self-employed.<\/strong><br><a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/\">Download the free app<\/a> or create your account online to get full control over your bookkeeping and tax returns from day one. And if you\u2019ve got questions about flat rates or anything else &#8211; our team of tax coaches and our AI tax advisor are always happy to help you! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1.&nbsp;<strong>What exactly is the Verpflegungspauschale?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0is a daily flat-rate allowance that helps you deduct meal expenses during business trips &#8211; without needing to keep every single food receipt. It\u2019s designed to compensate for the extra cost of eating out while away from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2.&nbsp;<strong>Can I still claim the allowance if I\u2019m invited to a meal?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, but with some limitations. If you receive a free meal, whether from a client, an event, or even a friend, you\u2019re technically supposed to reduce your daily allowance by 40% for lunch or dinner, or 20% for breakfast. That said, as a freelancer, you generally don\u2019t have to reduce your allowance for meals offered without charge, unless you&#8217;re dealing with hotel costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3.&nbsp;<strong>Do I have to submit receipts to claim the Verpflegungspauschale?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nope! That\u2019s one of the main perks. The\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0is a flat rate, so you don\u2019t need to collect receipts for meals. Just make sure you track your travel dates and durations correctly, it\u2019s the length of your trip that determines the allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4.&nbsp;<strong>How do I know which rates apply for international business trips?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Meal allowance rates differ by country and sometimes even by region. These rates are updated annually. You can always find the latest official figures on the\u00a0website of the German Federal Ministry of Finance\u00a0before your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5.&nbsp;<strong>Where do I claim the Verpflegungspauschale in my tax return?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a self-employed person or freelancer, you include the\u00a0<em>Verpflegungspauschale<\/em>\u00a0as part of your business expenses (<em>Betriebsausgaben<\/em>) in your tax declaration. This reduces your taxable income, so it\u2019s important to keep accurate records of your business trips. If you use <a href=\"https:\/\/interstellar.accountable.de\/en\/\">tax software<\/a> or work with an accountant, they can guide you on the exact place to enter these expenses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For many freelancers, business trips, both within Germany and abroad, are part of the job. But what many don\u2019t realize is how much tax they could save with proper travel expense documentation. In this article, we\u2019ll show you how to make the most of the\u00a0Verpflegungspauschale\u00a0(daily meal allowance) as a self-employed professional. What is Verpflegungsmehraufwand &#8211; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":889,"comment_status":"open","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-9118","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>Meal Allowances (Verpflegungspauschale) in Germany: How freelancers can claim additional meal expenses | Accountable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how you can claim meal expenses with the Verpflegungspauschale (meal allowance) as a freelancers and self-employed professional.\" \/>\n<meta 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