Pre-filled declaration with the data of the Finanzamt makes it possible to avoid unnecessary errors and save time. Sometimes you can discover something new. We found out that the employer paid money for the double household, although this did not appear anywhere in the papers. In addition, if you quit your job and the employer did not give you Lohnsteuerbescheinigung on time, although it is obliged, you can safely call the data via Elster and not waste your nerves on swearing.
Expat’s life
German Gymnasium. Grade 7
I continue to be dissatisfied with the German gymnasium. In these two posts more about clever Elsa, marks, learning content, a roof without walls, GFS and choosing a profile.
Part 2 German Gymnasium school. Profile choice, marks and inclusion
Train delays and strikes in Germany. What can you do
German trains are no longer punctual. If you type “train delays” in Google, then first of all Google adds Germany. Train cancellations, delays and strikes have become a weekly routine. What are your rights, what is the compensation for a train delays in Germany and how can you get it?
The rules change from June 7, 2023.
Fishing in Germany
Fishing in Germany is not as easy as fishermen would like. Therefore, it took 10 years before my husband, who used to love to fish, finally got to the fish farm. He wasn´t delighted, but all other options in Germany come with significant difficulties and financial costs.
How to calculate tax in Germany. What is written in Berechnung in Elster
How to calculate tax in Germany is not such a simple question as it seems. You can’t just take income and calculate a certain percentage from it. First you have to figure out how much income to take, then find the exact percentage, and then also calculate correctly. Let’s look what is written in the tax calculation (Berechnung) in official Elster tax program and how you can calculate whether everything in your declaration is correct.
Germany ticket for regional public transport Deutschland-Ticket
As you probably already know, a Germany ticket for regional transport starts to work from May.
Let’s go through the most important points: how / where to buy, what regional trains are (not) included and who should buy the Germany ticket (what’s about tourists, kids, students).
Volunteer firefighters in Germany – Freiwillige Feuerwehr
Volunteer firefighters in Germany are an important part of life. After all, they not only put out fires, but also go to the car accidents, help by various natural disasters or technical accidents, along with the voluntary technical aid organization of THW, and they are important part of the town community. Volunteer firefighters is called Freiwillige Feuerwehr in German.
What is Haftpflichtversicherung. Liability insurance in Germany
Liability insurance in Germany is highly recommended. This insurance is called private Haftpflichtversicherung (or Privathaftpflichtversicherung). Do not confuse it with Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung – liability insurance for drivers. For drivers, this insurance is mandatory and covers the damage they may cause while driving.
Privataftpflichtversicherung is not obligatory by law, but by common sense. Most people in Germany have it, so this topic is for those who have recently arrived.
Homeowners association in Germany
When you buy an apartment in a residential complex, especially a new one, all sorts of surprises and interesting things pop up. A homeowners association in Germany is a terrible force and means a lot of nerves in the struggle for ideal housing.
If you rent an apartment in such a complex, you need to ask in advance what restrictions the homeowners association imposes on residents and what expenses the owner transfers to the tenant.
Who can apply for German citizenship
In this topic we will collect information about who can apply for German citizenship, how much it costs and how long it takes.
In autumn, they talked a lot about easing the conditions for obtaining citizenship – they say, smart people should be lured to Germany. It is likely that some of these proposals will still be accepted, since there are no enough children, and someone needs to feed the retired baby boomer generation.