In Germany a lot of people don't need to file taxes. If you have a job that takes taxes out automatically, like an office job, you aren't obligated to files tax

In Germany a lot of people don't need to file taxes. If you have a job that takes taxes out automatically, like an office job, you aren't obligated to files taxes, but if you freelance or have some additional income that wouldn't be taxed then you are obligated to file. As far as I understand the rule of thumb is if all of your employers deduct taxes you don't need to file. I moved here from the USA and it feels simpler for the average person. You don't declare how many withholdings you get (I always used 0 so I could get some money at the end of the year), you just tell your employer your tax class and everything else is handled, and any refund is based on if you paid too many taxes somehow (there are some situations where you might have overpaid taxes inadvertently, like if you have a change in income part way through the year, and if this is the case when you file the return they analyze your income data and give you a refund).