Temporary Living and Taxes: What You Can Deduct for a Second Household
If you're living in Ingolstadt for work while keeping your primary residence elsewhere, you can deduct a significant portion of your costs under German tax law. The relevant term is doppelte Haushaltsführung (maintaining two households). Many project employees and commuters leave money on the table every year, simply because they don't know the rules.
Disclaimer: this article does not replace tax advice. The rules and allowances mentioned can change and depend on your individual situation. Please clarify your specific case with a tax advisor (Steuerberater) or the local tax office (Finanzamt).
When does doppelte Haushaltsführung apply?
The requirements are fairly straightforward. You maintain your own household at your center of life (Lebensmittelpunkt) - for example, your family home - and contribute to its costs. You also live at your workplace for professional reasons, because a project, a transfer, or a new job brought you to Ingolstadt. And your second residence is closer to your workplace than your main home.
Whether that second residence is a rented apartment, a furnished apartment, or an aparthotel generally doesn't matter. What counts is that it's professionally motivated.
What you can deduct
Accommodation costs. The actual cost of your second residence is deductible as income-related expenses (Werbungskosten), up to a cap of €1,000 per month within Germany. This includes accommodation costs and related fees. Keep all your invoices - as a direct booker, you'll of course receive proper invoices from us for your records.
Additional meal expenses. For the first three months at your new place of work, you can claim standard meal allowances (Verpflegungspauschalen): the full daily rate for full days away, a reduced rate for arrival and departure days. After three months, the allowance no longer applies. A break of at least four weeks resets the clock.
Travel home to family. One trip home per week is deductible via the distance-based mileage allowance (Entfernungspauschale), or alternatively, the actual cost of train or flight tickets. Again: keep your receipts.
Moving and incidental costs. Travel costs for your initial arrival, expenses for apartment hunting, and similar costs may also be deductible.
Employee or employer?
There are two common paths. Either your employer reimburses the costs, often tax-free under standard travel expense rules. Or you claim the costs yourself as income-related expenses in your income tax return.
You can't do both: whatever your employer reimburses, you can't deduct on top of that. It's best to clarify this with HR before your project starts.
Why an apartment here makes double the sense
For a secondary residence, you need accommodation with clear invoicing and predictable costs. For your daily life, you need a place where you can live comfortably for weeks at a time. Our apartments offer both: a private kitchen, a workspace, weekly cleaning, and transparent pricing that decreases for longer stays.
You can find the terms and process on our Temporary living in Ingolstadt. For advice on what to pack for a multi-week stay and what to leave behind, check out our packing list for your serviced apartment.
Book directly, with no booking fees and discounts for stays of 4 nights or more.
