Splitting taxes as a couple

Updated on 08.10.2026 · 2 minute read

In short: If a tax invoice is addressed to one person but concerns both, it is unfair to attribute it entirely to that one person. What makes sense is a split key per tax year, for example by income, by percentage or equally, and a clear rule on who pays. Whoever has covered more than their share receives a settlement payment.

The problem

• With joint assessment, an invoice is often addressed to a single person but concerns both.
• Where each person receives their own tax invoices (individual taxation), the invoices are separate. Even so, household costs are often borne together.
• Without a clear split, questions arise: who paid how much? Who still owes whom something?

Three decisions per tax year

1. Which invoices are shared?

Not every invoice has to be shared. Only mark the ones that concern both of you.

2. Which key is used to split?

Common options:

• by income: whoever earns more pays more.
• by taxable income
• by fixed percentages, for example 60 to 40
• equally

The key can change from year to year, for example when incomes or life circumstances change.

3. Who pays?

• Joint account: both pay their share into a joint account, from which the invoice is paid.
• One person pays: one person pays the whole invoice, the other settles their share.

This applies whether the invoice is paid all at once, in instalments or in advance.

Recording settlement payments

If one person pays more than their share, a balance arises between the two. If it is settled, that should be recorded. Otherwise nobody will know later what has already been settled.

How SteuerImBlick helps

• In the Shared section you mark individual invoices as shared.
• For each tax year you choose the split key and the payment method.
• The app calculates the shares and shows who owes whom how much. You record settlement payments directly.
• In the overview, each person sees what they actually have to pay this month: their own invoices plus their share of the shared ones.
• Over the years it stays clear how costs were split and what was paid.

Frequently asked questions

This article gives a general overview and is not tax or legal advice. How you split costs between you is your own arrangement.