Day by day and step by step, I am leaving Europe behind further and further. Today I received my final tax return from the last year I (partially) lived in Germany. Because that last year I spent only 4 months in Germany altogether, and a bit less even working there, I expected quite a bit of taxes back – and happily, I was not disappointed. In fact, that one tax return is more than I ever made otherwise in a single month, which is a bit sad, really.
Once the money is on my account, I can transfer it elsewhere and close the account in Germany. It’s quite expensive, the customer service is… not good, and I don’t really need an account in Germany, so there’s no point in keeping it. It feels like I keep burning bridges, for now it looks and feels good and since I do it out of my own free will, it doesn’t scare me. Maybe things will look differently once I am stranded here without any way back?
You’ll always have a way back. You have your passport. 😉
But good for you. I remember my first proper tax return after only having worked from April in that year… I basically got another month of income back. <3
I realised today that I will most likely pass the next tax barrier this year… yeah for on call duty…
and yet, I still don't earn enough to actually buy a flat in Vienna… oh well, at least I can afford to travel… real estate prices are ridiculous here… There seem to be more places I could buy in Tokyo than in Vienna… (although rents – in contrast – are weirdly a lot higher)