How does one enact a self disclosure of crypto currency income for previous years with the Tax office in Germany? (Strafbefreiende Selbstanzeige)

Question

Since 2017, I have been unsure of the Tax implications of crypto currency gains in Germany or how to calculate them. With the introduction of new crypto Tax software I am now confident in my Crypto accounts. I want to pay what I owe up to date. I have been told by my tax advisor that I need to perform an official self disclosure of undeclared income for previous years “Strafbefreiende Selbstanzeige” 2017 to 2020. Unfortunately having sent many requests since the start of the 2021, I cannot seem to find a Tax Lawyer to take this on.

Is it possible to enact a self disclosure of unpaid crypto taxes (“Strafbefreiende Selbstanzeige”) with the Tax office in Germany without going through a Tax Lawyer?

Might there be a template letter I can use to submit with my crypto account documents that will suffice? I fear waiting too long to inform the tax office while waiting for a tax lawyer vs the danger of doing something incorrectly myself. Thank you in advance and any recommendations for a suitable tax lawyer would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I would strongly recommend against filing a Selbstanzeige on your own, but any decent tax adviser might be able to help. If I were you, I'd get in touch with someone from the Steuerring e.V.. If the local representative can't help you, they still have a legal team who know their stuff.