Professional component of legal protection insurance: How to optimize your tax burden
13 May 2025
4
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
Many employees and self-employed individuals are unaware that a portion of their legal expenses insurance can reduce their tax burden. Discover how to identify and correctly deduct the professional portion of your policy. With the right documentation and entries, you can secure your tax advantage.
The topic in brief and concise terms
Only the clearly substantiated occupational portion (typically labor law protection) of your legal protection insurance is tax deductible.
Employees claim this portion as advertising expenses (Appendix N), while the self-employed claim it as business expenses.
A certificate from the insurer regarding the professional cost share is crucial for recognition by the tax office.
Understanding the tax deductibility of the business portion
Many insured individuals wonder if and how they can claim their legal expenses insurance for tax purposes. The basic rule is: Only the part of your legal expenses insurance that is professionally induced can be deducted. This mainly concerns the component of employment legal protection. Private portions, such as pure private legal protection or often also traffic legal protection, are generally not deductible. For employees, this means they can declare the professional portion as work-related expenses in the N section of their tax return. Self-employed individuals, on the other hand, can record these costs as operating expenses, which reduces their taxable profit. Correctly handling these regulations can reduce your annual tax burden by several hundred euros. The precise distinction and evidence are crucial for acceptance by the tax office.
Quick Facts: The Essentials of Deductibility at a Glance
To successfully deduct the professional portion of your legal expenses insurance from taxes, there are some key points you should consider. These will help you avoid mistakes and maximize your benefits.
Only professional relevance counts: Only the portion that covers professional risks is deductible, typically employment legal protection.
Proof required: The tax office requires clear evidence of the professional portion, ideally through a separate statement on the invoice or a certificate from the insurer.
Job-related expenses or business expenses: Employees claim the portion as job-related expenses, whereas self-employed individuals claim it as business expenses.
Consider the flat-rate allowance for job-related expenses: For employees, it's worthwhile only if the total job-related expenses exceed the current flat-rate allowance of one thousand two hundred and thirty euros.
No flat-rate estimates: An independent estimation of the professional portion is often not accepted by the tax office; a precise breakdown is necessary.
These points form the basis for optimising your professional legal expenses insurance tax-wise. In the next step, we will look at concrete practical examples.
Practical examples: How to calculate and declare the professional portion
The theory is clear, but what does implementation look like in practice? Let's assume you are an employee and pay three hundred euros annually for a combined legal expenses insurance. Your insurer certifies that eighty euros of this is allocated to employment legal protection. You can enter exactly these eighty euros as work-related expenses in the 'Anlage N' of your tax return. If your total work-related expenses (including these eighty euros, travel costs, etc.) exceed the flat rate of one thousand two hundred thirty euros, this will reduce your tax burden. Another example: A self-employed person pays four hundred fifty euros for a corporate legal expenses insurance that exclusively covers business risks. They can claim the full amount of four hundred fifty euros as business expenses. It is always important to maintain a clear separation: If the policy also includes private elements, the professional share must be accurately specified. Without such a breakdown, the tax office often does not recognize the costs. Therefore, precise documentation is key to success when you want to optimize your insurance and tax.
Expert Depth: Legal Foundations and Recent Judgments
The tax deductibility of the work-related portion of a legal protection insurance is based on § nine paragraph one sentence one of the Income Tax Act (EStG), which defines advertising expenses as costs for acquiring, securing, and maintaining income. For self-employed individuals, deductibility arises from the regulations on business expenses (§ four paragraph four EStG). An important judgment in this context was made by the Federal Finance Court already on the thirty-first of January nineteen ninety-seven (BFH/NV 1997 p. 346). This judgment confirmed the possibility of apportioning contributions to a combined legal protection insurance, provided the portion attributable to labour law protection is verified. The tax administration usually requires a certificate from the insurer that clearly shows the work-related portion. Without such proof, recognition is difficult. Our expert tip: Proactively request an updated certificate annually from your insurer to accurately list all deductible insurances on your tax return. This prevents queries from the tax office. The precise entry, such as where insurances should be listed on the tax return, is also crucial.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
When claiming the professional share of legal expenses insurance on the tax return, errors frequently occur that can prevent recognition by the tax office. A common mistake is the absence of clear evidence for the professional share. Many taxpayers try to set an estimated amount, which is rarely accepted. Another pitfall is the assumption that every legal expenses insurance can be partially deducted. This is not the case; the focus is clearly on employment legal protection. Forgetting the entry in form N (for employees) or incorrect accounting for the self-employed also means that the tax advantage is lost. Some also overlook that the deduction as business expenses only takes effect when the employee allowance of one thousand two hundred and thirty euros is exceeded. Our expert tip: Collect all receipts carefully and request a detailed breakdown from your insurance company in a timely manner. A correct and transparent tax return is the best way to avoid problems with the tax office. Paying attention to these points helps to effectively reduce the tax burden.
Your next step towards tax optimisation
The possibility of claiming the professional portion of your legal protection insurance for tax purposes offers significant savings potential. With the necessary knowledge of the tax office requirements and careful documentation, you can effectively reduce your tax burden. Remember to clearly demonstrate the professional portion and accurately report the costs in your tax return. Whether you are an employee or self-employed, paying attention to the details pays off. Use the information provided here to review your situation and make adjustments if necessary. Professional advice can give you additional security and help you exploit all optimisation potentials. At nextsure, we are happy to assist you in finding the right insurance coverage for your individual needs and provide discreet advice on your options.
Request a personalised risk analysis now: Have your insurance situation reviewed free of charge and receive specific optimisation suggestions.
More useful links
Wikipedia provides a comprehensive overview of legal protection insurance and its various aspects.
The portal Gesetze im Internet provides the full text of § 9 Income Tax Act (EStG), which defines advertising costs.
The Federal Ministry of Finance offers official information on income tax in Germany.
The Federal Labour Court is the highest instance of labour jurisdiction in Germany and provides insights into relevant judgments.
FAQ
Wo trage ich den beruflichen Anteil der Rechtsschutzversicherung in der Steuererklärung ein?
Arbeitnehmer tragen den beruflichen Anteil in der Anlage N unter „Weitere Werbungskosten“ ein. Selbstständige erfassen ihn als Betriebsausgabe in der Einnahmen-Überschuss-Rechnung (EÜR) oder Gewinn- und Verlustrechnung (GuV).
Welche Nachweise benötigt das Finanzamt für den beruflichen Anteil?
Das Finanzamt benötigt in der Regel eine Rechnung oder eine Bescheinigung Ihrer Versicherung, aus der der berufliche Anteil (z.B. für Arbeitsrechtsschutz) klar hervorgeht.
Ist der Verkehrsrechtsschutz auch beruflich absetzbar?
In der Regel nicht für Arbeitnehmer, es sei denn, es besteht ein eindeutiger und nachweisbarer direkter beruflicher Zusammenhang (z.B. bei Berufskraftfahrern). Die Hürden sind hier hoch.
Können Rentner ihre Rechtsschutzversicherung absetzen?
Da Rentner in der Regel keine beruflichen Einkünfte mehr erzielen, aus denen Werbungskosten entstehen könnten, ist die Rechtsschutzversicherung für sie normalerweise nicht steuerlich absetzbar, es sei denn, sie üben noch eine berufliche Tätigkeit aus.
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Werbungskosten und Betriebsausgaben?
Werbungskosten sind Ausgaben, die Arbeitnehmern zur Erzielung ihrer Einkünfte aus nichtselbstständiger Arbeit entstehen. Betriebsausgaben sind Aufwendungen, die durch den Betrieb von Selbstständigen oder Unternehmen veranlasst sind.
Kann ich die Selbstbeteiligung im Schadensfall auch absetzen?
Wenn der Rechtsstreit beruflich veranlasst war und die Prozesskosten selbst als Werbungskosten oder Betriebsausgaben absetzbar wären, kann auch eine dafür gezahlte Selbstbeteiligung an die Rechtsschutzversicherung unter Umständen abgesetzt werden.
