Tax and compliance calendar 2028 for companies in Germany
This calendar lists every deadline that applies to a company in Germany in 2028: national tax and reporting duties alongside EU-wide regulations - such as the AI Act, NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act - that apply across the whole EU.
Recurring obligations - monthly VAT returns, quarterly filings, annual reports - are expanded into their individual due dates for the year using the rule shown on each deadline's own page. This calendar does not shift dates that fall on a weekend or public holiday; always check the linked official source for the exact filing deadline.
The Omnibus I package cut CSRD scope to companies with more than 1,000 employees and over €450M turnover; listed SMEs are removed entirely. Large customers may not demand more sustainability data from suppliers below 1,000 employees than the voluntary VSME standard. In-scope companies report for financial year 2027 in 2028.
The last transition step: from 1 January 2028 every German business, regardless of turnover, must issue structured e-invoices for domestic B2B supplies. EDI procedures must also be EN 16931-compatible by then.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Producers whose prior-year packaging volumes reach the thresholds in §11 Abs. 4 VerpackG (glass ≥80 t; paper/cardboard/paperboard ≥50 t; or combined iron metals + aluminium + plastics + beverage cartons + other composite packaging ≥30 t) must submit an audited Vollständigkeitserklärung to the ZSVR every year by 15 May for the preceding calendar year (moved to the next business day if 15 May falls on a weekend/holiday). This is a statutory deadline with no extension available.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Platforms facilitating short-term accommodation rentals (up to 30 nights) and passenger transport become the deemed VAT supplier when the underlying host or driver does not charge VAT. The One-Stop-Shop is extended (own-goods transfers, B2C supplies) and a mandatory reverse charge for non-established suppliers reduces the need for foreign VAT registrations.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Annual income tax (Einkommensteuer), corporation tax (Körperschaftsteuer) and trade tax (Gewerbesteuer) returns must be filed by 31 July of the following year (§149 Abs. 2 AO) when self-prepared. If a Steuerberater (tax advisor) or Lohnsteuerhilfeverein prepares the return, the deadline extends to the last day of February of the second following year (§149 Abs. 3 AO), unless the tax office sets an earlier date under §149 Abs. 4.
AI that is a safety component of products covered by EU product legislation listed in Annex I (machinery, medical devices, toys, lifts, vehicles, etc.) must meet the AI Act's high-risk requirements as part of the product's CE conformity assessment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Employers must electronically file the Lohnsteuer-Anmeldung and pay the withheld wage tax by the 10th day after the end of the reporting period. The period is monthly by default, quarterly if the prior year's withheld wage tax was between €1,080 and €5,000, and annual if it was €1,080 or less.
VAT-registered businesses must electronically file their advance VAT return (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung) and pay any VAT due by the 10th day after the end of each reporting period (monthly, or quarterly for smaller businesses). A Dauerfristverlängerung (permanent one-month deadline extension) can be requested via ELSTER; monthly filers must also pay a special advance (1/11 of the prior year's VAT) to keep it.
Employers must pay estimated total social insurance contributions (health, pension, unemployment, long-term care insurance) for the current month by the third-to-last bank working day of that same month, and submit the Beitragsnachweis (contribution statement) to the relevant Krankenkasse shortly before that. Any shortfall/surplus versus actual payroll is corrected in the following month's payment.
Corporations (GmbH, UG (haftungsbeschränkt), and GmbH & Co. KG) must file their annual financial statements for disclosure via the Unternehmensregister/Bundesanzeiger within 12 months of their balance-sheet date (§325 Abs. 1a HGB); for a calendar-year company that means by 31 December of the following year. Small and micro companies (Kleinstkapitalgesellschaften, §267/§267a HGB) may use reduced formats or, for micro companies, simple deposit (Hinterlegung) instead of full publication, but the 12-month deadline itself still applies.
Does this calendar include EU-wide obligations, or only national ones?
Both. It combines every national deadline for this country with EU-wide regulations - such as the AI Act or NIS2 - that apply to companies here regardless of country.
How are recurring deadlines like monthly VAT returns shown?
Each recurring obligation (a monthly VAT return, a quarterly filing) is expanded into its actual due date for every month, quarter or year it applies, using the recurrence rule published on its own deadline page.
How current is this calendar?
Every entry links to its official source and shows a last-verified date. Dates can move, so always confirm against the official source before relying on one.