All about this insurance: Contents insurance
Do I need contents insurance as a renter in Germany?
Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Contents insurance
Can you deduct contents insurance from your taxes in Germany?
In short
In most cases, no. German tax law treats contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) as a private living cost, not as a deductible insurance. You can only claim a share if you have a recognised home office and claim its actual costs, or the full premium for furniture you let out. The tax saving is usually a few euros a year.
What it costs
What actually reaches you at tax time. Examples using published premiums and allowances.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Flat 100 m², home office 12 m², premium EUR 120, actual costs | EUR 14.40 as work expenses, tax saving about EUR 4 to 6 |
| Flat 80 m², home office 10 m², premium EUR 60, actual costs | EUR 7.50 as work expenses, tax saving about EUR 2 to 3 |
| Home office room with annual flat rate | EUR 1,260 flat, nothing extra for contents insurance |
| Working at home without a separate room | EUR 6 per day, up to EUR 1,260, nothing extra for contents insurance |
As of September 2026. The tax saving is calculated with a personal tax rate of 30 to 42 percent and is a guide value from our quoting practice. A tax adviser gives you the binding answer.
Worked example
Freelance translator, home office as centre of work
She works only from home and claims the actual costs of the room, because rent and utilities are higher than the flat rate.
| Living space | 90 m² |
| Home office | 15 m², so 16.7 percent |
| Annual contents premium | EUR 108 |
| Share as business expense | EUR 18 |
| Tax saving at 35 percent | about EUR 6 |
Contents insurance brings about EUR 6 a year. Rent and utilities for the room make the real difference, not the insurance.
Why the premium usually does not count
Germany lets you deduct insurance that protects people or covers liability, such as health, accident or personal liability insurance, within limits. Contents insurance protects things. That makes it a private living cost, and those are not deductible.
Do not enter it in the Anlage Vorsorgeaufwand of your tax return. The tax office will simply strike it out. This is different from some countries where renters can claim part of their insurance, so do not rely on what you knew at home.
| Your situation | Contents insurance deductible? |
|---|---|
| Private use only | no |
| Home office as centre of work, actual costs | yes, floor-space share |
| Home office as centre of work, annual allowance | no, included in the allowance |
| Desk in the living room, daily allowance | no, included in the allowance |
| Furnished flat let out | yes, for the let furniture |
The exception: a recognised home office
Since 2023 a separate home office room only counts if it is the centre of your entire professional activity. You then choose between the actual costs of the room and a flat EUR 1,260 a year.
Only with actual costs does a share of your contents insurance count, based on the room's size compared with the whole flat. With the flat rate, or with the daily allowance of EUR 6 for working at home without a separate room, the insurance is already included.
Letting a furnished flat
If you let a furnished flat and insure the furniture for that purpose, the premium is an expense against your rental income in the Anlage V. For a holiday flat you also use yourself, only the share of let days counts.
Keep your own belongings and the let furniture in separate policies. That makes the tax proof easier and avoids arguments about the sum insured after a claim.
What saves you more
The tax effect of contents insurance is tiny. Checking the policy itself saves more: the right sum insured, gross negligence covered and no duplicate add-ons.
Personal liability insurance is different. It is deductible in principle, but for most employees the annual limit is already used up by health and long-term care insurance.
Step by step
- Check whether your home office is the centre of your entire work.
- Roughly add up the actual costs of the room and compare them with the EUR 1,260 flat rate.
- Only with actual costs: work out the floor-space share and apply it to the contents premium.
- Enter the amount in the Anlage N or your profit calculation and keep the premium invoice.
- For let furniture, enter the premium in the Anlage V.
Checklist
- Premium invoice for the year at hand
- Floor plan or size of room and flat available
- Decision made between actual costs and flat rate
- Let furniture insured separately from your own belongings
- Contents insurance not entered as a special expense
Common mistakes
- Entering the full premium as a special expense
- Claiming contents insurance on top of the home office allowance
- Calling a desk corner in the living room a home office
- Keeping a weaker policy to save a few euros in tax
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Which tax form does contents insurance go in?
Privately, none. For a recognised home office as an employee in the Anlage N, as a freelancer in your profit calculation, for let furniture in the Anlage V.
Is contents insurance a Vorsorgeaufwand?
No. That section is for insurance covering people and liability. Contents insurance covers things and is not deductible privately.
Can I claim it alongside the home office allowance?
No. The EUR 6 per day covers all costs of working at home, including the share of insurance.
Is the effort worth it for a home office?
Only if you claim the actual costs of the room anyway. Then it is one extra line, usually worth a few euros.
Can I deduct a loss the insurance did not pay?
Rarely. If you could have taken out normal insurance, lost belongings are usually not accepted as an extraordinary burden.
Does my home country's rule apply if I am taxed in Germany?
No. If Germany taxes your income, German rules decide what is deductible, even if your policy or your old habits come from elsewhere.
Sources
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request a quote: Contents insurance
We compare several insurers and come back with a proposal. Free for you; the insurer pays our fee. You can write in English.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
Related questions
How much does contents insurance cost in Germany?
For a flat of 75 to 80 square metres you usually pay EUR 25 to 120 a year for contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) …
Is contents insurance worth it in Germany?
Contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) is worth it if you could not buy your belongings new from your own pocket aft …
Is glass insurance worth it in Germany?
For many tenants, probably not. Glass insurance (Glasversicherung) costs about EUR 40 to 65 a year for a 70 to 90 squa …
NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated
Was this useful?