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I am a student moving from France to Germany. I am a non-EU national. I moved to Germany this September and I received a tax identification number (Steuer-Identifikationsnummer).

As a student with no income, am I expected to pay taxes? Do I need to file a tax declaration? Is there something I need to do on the French side? Thank you.

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  • This question seems to be off-topic and/or duplicate. For tax residency, please see expatriates.stackexchange.com/a/11009/13223. For the question if you are expected to pay taxes or if it makes sense to submit a tax declaration, you need to go to a tax consultant, since taxes have nothing to do with your residence or expat status.
    – Andrey Sapegin
    Oct 7 '20 at 9:39
  • In some cases, If one has no income, but has some expenses like a study, there might still be sense to submit a tax declaration.
    – Andrey Sapegin
    Oct 7 '20 at 9:57
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If you have no income, then you don’t have to pay income tax. If you have income, then your employer would have kept money to pay your income tax. In that situation many people can get some money back by filling in your tax declaration, so I would recommend doing that, especially if your income changed through the year. But you don’t have to.

I know nothing about French tax laws.

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  • "As a student with no income..." suggests the OP doesn't work. Something or someone pays for the OP's living costs and tuition, perhaps grants and scholarships. If so, might the OP's grants and scholarships count as income under the laws of either France or Germany?
    – DavidSupportsMonica
    Oct 7 '20 at 0:20
  • For 2020, no income tax declaration is required up to an earning (where the income tax has already been deducted) of € 9408 in Germany. Therefore with a part time job, earning €600 per month (before taxes), no declaration is required. For the tax to be deducted by your employer the Steuer-Identifikationsnummer is needed.
    – Mark Johnson
    Oct 8 '20 at 3:34
  • @DavidSupportsMonica In Germany tuition is generally financed by the state (and thus not income). Some semester fees exist (which often also include a public transport ticket). Support from their parents is also not income (but deductible for the parents).
    – Mark Johnson
    Oct 8 '20 at 3:42
  • @Mark Johnson, I would be very careful with such statements, cause it is not only income border which can lead to be obliged to submit a tax declaration. Most probably, OP will not need to submit tax declaration in Germany without an income, but I guess this year he is taxable in France, so German regulations are not so relevant now.
    – Andrey Sapegin
    Oct 8 '20 at 12:23

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