Can be expensive: You must not make this mistake with property tax under any circumstances
Tax returns aren’t everyone’s favorite activity, especially when a second one is due like this year. But you should not sloppily, because a mistake in the property tax can be expensive for you.
Many people are currently struggling with the property tax return. You should definitely know a few stumbling blocks, such as how to determine the correct number of square meters or that you should definitely not miss the deadline.
A mistake that you should definitely avoid is an outdated standard land value (BRW). This is a central element of property tax in many federal states and can have a major impact on the amount of property tax you will have to pay from 2025.
New ground value
The BRW states how much a square meter of undeveloped land is worth at a certain location in Germany and is therefore an important tool for the valuation of real estate.
In many cases, the BRW is also important for the property tax declaration. This applies, for example, to all federal states that use the federal model for the calculation. Only in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Hamburg does the BRW play no role in the property tax return. In Hesse and Lower Saxony, on the other hand, the BRW is automatically taken into account by the tax authorities. Therefore, no information on the BRW is required for the property tax declaration in these two federal states.
For the property tax return, you must state the BRW as of January 1, 2022 in the following federal states:
- Berlin
- Brandenburg
- Bremen
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Saarland
- Saxony
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Schleswig Holstein
- Thuringia
How to determine the correct value
When making the property tax declaration, make sure that you do not state an outdated BRW, but the current one
Deadline 01/01/2022
. In Germany, standard land values can be accessed via the standard land value information system.
However, the portal points out that official information is reserved for the respective state portals and locally responsible expert committees. For the federal states addressed, the following contact points are available from which you can obtain the current standard land values free of charge:
Software helps with land value
Software helpers such as WISO Grundsteuer, which will be launched shortly, will help you determine the correct standard land value. If necessary, the web app automatically calculates and enters the standard land value.
