The end of care allowances?: Why care trips to relatives are often not deductible
Those who regularly visit relatives for care purposes often incur high travel expenses. A court ruling shows why these expenses are not always recognized for tax purposes.
A recent court ruling by the Finanzgericht Münster (Az. 4 K 2261/25 E) has stated that the travel costs incurred by individuals who regularly visit and care for a family member in need of care are not typically deductible as extraordinary expenses for tax purposes. In a specific case, a couple claimed around €6,700 for travel, parking fees, and other expenses related to caring for the 92-year-old mother with care level 3 and a disability grade of 100, who lived 150 kilometers away.
However, the court ruled that these costs were not mandatory and could be replaced by professional care services, and therefore only the €1,100 care flat rate was eligible for tax deduction. As a result, personal travel to visit a family member in need of care, as well as related expenses such as parking fees, are generally not deductible.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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