Your return goes in part 2, not part 1
An employee has their income pre-filled by their employer. As self-employed, you do this yourself, in part 2 of your return. You declare your professional income, deduct your expenses and calculate what you actually earned. One mistake in that calculation and you pay too much, or too little and you get a surcharge later.
Fixed-rate or actual professional expenses?
This is the choice that makes the most difference. If you choose the fixed rate, the tax office automatically applies a fixed percentage to your professional income. If you choose actual expenses, you declare everything you actually spent on your business, but you must prove it with invoices and receipts. The best choice depends on how much you actually spent.
Example: Lien runs a small accounting firm and has relatively low expenses. For her, the fixed-rate deduction is often enough. Karim drives a lot for his business, has a home office and regularly buys materials. For him, actual expenses can be much more beneficial.
What can you deduct as actual expenses?
Not everything is fully deductible. Mixed expenses, like your car, your phone or your home office, are only partly deductible. You must be able to prove the professional percentage. Social contributions you pay as self-employed are fully deductible. Many new entrepreneurs forget this and end up paying more tax than necessary.
Note:if you choose actual expenses but don't have receipts, the tax office can refuse the full deduction and impose a surcharge.
What does Connect Inn do?
Connect Inn reviews your income and expenses and calculates which cost option gives you the best result. We complete part 2 of your return correctly, with the right supporting documents. You don't need an appointment for this.Just drop by during our office hours.