🔒 Your privacy on Claude
You can sign up for Claude with an invented or impersonal email address – this is perfectly fine. You don't need to enter or upload any personal information. Even without real data, you can use all the exercises and prompts in this course – simply replace the placeholders with fictional examples. Your privacy comes first.
Understanding the form
Ask Claude to explain the tax form
[Please reply in English using simple, plain language. Avoid jargon – if you use technical terms, explain them immediately.] I need to complete the tax return (Steuererklärung) in Canton Basel and don't know where to start. My income source: [Salary / IV pension / Sozialhilfe] What sections are there and what goes in each one?
What documents do I need?
| Document | Salary | IV / Sozialhilfe |
|---|---|---|
| Payslip (Lohnausweis) | ✓ | – |
| IV (Invalidenversicherung) pension decision | – | ✓ |
| Sozialhilfe confirmation letter | – | ✓ |
| Health insurance premium receipts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Medical bills over 100 francs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Travel cost receipts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bank statement as of 31 December | ✓ | ✓ |
Deductions (Abzüge)
💡 Common deductions
- Health insurance premiums (Krankenkassenprämien) – up to the cantonal maximum
- Medical, dental and therapy costs – above 5% of net income
- Travel costs to work or medical appointments
- Alimony payments, donations, vocational training costs
Calculate deductions
[Please reply in English using simple, plain language. Avoid jargon – if you use technical terms, explain them immediately.] Last year I had the following expenses: - Health insurance: 380 francs per month - Dentist: 850 francs - Public transport pass (work commute): 720 francs What can I deduct in the tax return in Canton Basel? My annual net income is 38,000 francs.
Requesting a tax exemption or instalment plan
| Deadline | What to do? |
|---|---|
| 31 March | Submit tax return (Canton Basel) |
| Before 31 March | Request an extension (free, online or in writing) |
| 30 days after the bill | Pay the taxes or request an instalment plan |
Apply for tax exemption
[Please reply in English using simple, plain language. Avoid jargon – if you use technical terms, explain them immediately.] I cannot pay my 2024 taxes. I receive an IV pension of 1,400 francs per month and EL (Ergänzungsleistungen). Please draft a formal application for tax exemption (Steuererlass) in German to the tax authority (Steuerverwaltung) of Canton Basel.
✓ Module 3 completed
Well done! Click «Next» to go to the next module.