Dog Ownership - Deregister a Dog for Tax Purposes

You are required to deregister your dog for tax purposes • if you no longer keep the dog (for example, because it has died), or • if you move away from Berlin with the dog. If you have moved within Berlin, no deregistration is required. Please simply notify the Finanzamt (tax office) of your new address, for example by email. Procedure 1. Deregistration with the Hunderegister (dog register) (recommended) • If you no longer keep your dog, you are required under public-order law to deregister it with the central dog register (Hunderegister). You can do this online, in writing by post, or by telephone (more under "Further information"). • Deregistering a dog with the central register counts at the same time as tax deregistration with the Finanzamt. This means you do not additionally need to deregister your dog with your Finanzamt. 2. Deregistration with the Finanzamt • You can deregister electronically using the ELSTER tax online platform or in writing by post using the form "Abmeldung eines Hundes" (deregistration of a dog). • If you deregister your dog directly with the Finanzamt, you must also additionally deregister it with the Hunderegister (more under "Further information"). 3. Bescheid (notice) Once you have deregistered the dog, you will receive a new Steuerbescheid (tax assessment notice). You will then no longer need to pay tax for the dog. If you have already paid too much tax, the Finanzamt will refund it to you.