Forex Trading Tax in Germany 2026 — Complete Guide

Forex Tax Treatment in Germany

Forex trading profits are subject to the Abgeltungsteuer (flat tax) of 25% plus 5.5% solidarity surcharge and optional church tax, totaling approximately 26.375%. Losses can be offset against other capital gains. Since 2021, losses from certain derivatives are limited to EUR 20,000 per year in offset against gains from similar instruments.

Forex/CFD profits are capital income (Einkunfte aus Kapitalvermogen) and are taxed under the Abgeltungsteuer regime separately from ordinary income.

Tax Rates Table — Germany EUR

Applicable rates as of April 2026.

What Counts as Taxable?

Most Germany residents need to declare the following types of trading income:

• Realised forex/CFD capital gains. Profits from closing positions during the tax year.
• Dividend-equivalent payments. Cash adjustments paid by your broker on long share-CFD positions when the underlying issues a dividend.
• Carry / swap interest received. Positive overnight financing credited to long carry-trade positions is normally taxable as financial income.
• Cashback, rebates and bonuses. Cash incentives paid by the broker may be reportable as miscellaneous or financial income.
• Crypto CFD profits. Profits from cryptocurrency CFDs are taxed under the same rules as other CFDs (this is different from spot crypto, which usually has its own treatment).
• Foreign exchange differences. Gains or losses from holding foreign-currency balances may need to be reported separately when converted back to your home currency.

Professional vs Retail Trader — Tax Implications

Classification as a Gewerbetreibender (commercial trader) is rare for individual retail forex traders, but if the Finanzamt deems trading to be a business, profits move from capital income to trade income (Gewerbesteuer + income tax) rather than the flat 25%.

How to Declare Forex Income in Germany

1. 1

   Download your annual statement from each broker (and convert all amounts to EUR using year-end FX rates if your account is in another currency).

2. 2

   Calculate net realised profit or loss for the tax year — buy/sell pairs only (unrealised positions are usually excluded, except for mark-to-market regimes).

3. 3

   Add carry/swap interest, dividend-equivalent payments, and any cashback or rebates.

4. 4

   Open Einkommensteuererklarung — Anlage KAP on the Bundeszentralamt fur Steuern (BZSt) / local Finanzamt portal.

5. 5

   Enter the totals in the capital-gains / investment-income section and indicate the source country of each broker.

6. 6

   Pay any balance owed by the deadline (31 July of the following year (extended if filing via Steuerberater)) and keep the receipt and broker statements with your records.

Loss Offset Rules

Record Keeping Requirements

Keep all annual broker statements (Jahressteuerbescheinigung if available), trade ledgers, and proof of foreign-source taxes paid for at least 6 years.

• Annual broker statements (PDF and machine-readable formats)
• Trade-by-trade ledger with timestamps, instrument, and P&L
• Year-end account valuation (mandatory for wealth-tax regimes)
• Proof of any foreign tax already paid, to claim against home liability under double-tax treaties
• FX-conversion rates used to translate amounts into EUR

Tax Reporting Deadlines

Recommended Accountants & Software

Most German traders use either Elster (the Finanzamt's free portal) or commercial software like WISO Steuer or SmartSteuer. Active traders often work with a Steuerberater familiar with derivatives reporting.

We do not endorse any single product. For active traders we generally recommend a local advisor who has direct experience with CFD/derivative reporting and any cross-border passporting that applies to your broker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Popular brokers used by Germany traders