Dorirsita

  wowwwwwwww you make my day @PandaMunich!!!! I am so happy!!!!!!!!!! He has been employed in Germany for over 7 years so he himself definitely has 60 German pension months!!!!  So I suppose that means I do not have to pay into any pension and I can just continue doing what I have been doing.

Hi all, I have been living in Germany for over 4 years with a freelancer visa as translator. I am under the TK health insurance but I do not have any pension plan as it isn't mandatory for freelancers. I am getting married in November with a EU citizen (non-German) who is employed [just saying this as a background info as I am not sure if it makes a difference]. I am planning to apply for Permanent Residence next year once I reach 5 years. I read that having 60 months of pension contribution is one of the main requirements. I don't know what to do with this... Buying the 60 months pension plan seems like the only solution, but it's also extremely expensive for freelancers... And I don't think I can afford paying 60-month of contribution in one go... it's like 18% of brutto income of 60 months, which is huge sum of money. Apart from this, I also read that it is not advisable to buy into the German public pension nor the German private pension. They both have quite a lot disadvantages for foreigners... So I don't know what to do... what's the best way to fulfil this requirement? can personal asset (like property, savings) be considered as old age security too?  any recommendation on non-German pension plan which is more affordable but at the same time recognized by the German authority?  Thank you so much for your advice    

  I just found another EU site (https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/residence/family-residence-rights/partners/index_en.htm ). it says: //Your non-EU spouse, children and grandchildren acquire the right of permanent residence if they have lived legally in the host country for a period of 5 continuous years. They can then stay as long as they want even if they don't work and need income support. They should enjoy the same rights, benefits and advantages as nationals.// It seems like I can already apply for a permanent residence once I got married (as I will have legally lived in Germany for 5 continuous years by then)? And don't need proof of income etc?    

Sorry I have another question... My 1st year in Germany was with a "working holiday visum", not a "Aufenthaltserlaubnis ". I started to have my Aufenthaltserlaubnis as freelancer from the 2nd year on. The website says that "Besitz einer Aufenthaltserlaubnis seit 5 Jahren" is required for applying for permanent residence. Does it mean that my 1st year (with a visum, not Aufenthaltserlaubnis) doesn't count???

Thank you very much for your advice. This is very useful! In this case it seems easier if I keep my own freelancer visa status even after I get married. I will figure out the pension issue. May I ask if you know whether I will be entitled to any kinds of occupations (e.g. to be an employee), or will I be still limited as a freelancer if I apply for an NE as freelancer? Thanks!    

Thank you for your reply! My confusions are: 1. Public pension isn't required for freelancers, therefore many freelancers do not have it. I have read in some websites saying that for this reason public pension isn't required when freelancers apply for permanent residence. That's why i am not sure... 2. IF it is really required, can I pay back a one-off pension contribution covering the past 60 months? would it work or is it too late? 3. I am going to get married with a EU national (non-German) soon. For this reason my visa type will probably be changed from freelancer visa to spouse/family reunion visa. But spouse/family of EU nationals doesn't fall into the category listed here for permanent residence ( https://www.berlin.de/labo/willkommen-in-berlin/dienstleistungen/service.493516.php/dienstleistung/121864/ ) , which are: anerkannte Asylberechtigte und Flüchtlinge ausländische Absolventen deutscher Hochschulen Familienangehörige von Deutschen Inhaber einer Blauen Karte EU Kinder (ab 16 Jahren) Selbständige Therefore I am not sure if I should just keep my own freelancer visa even after I get married, so that I can apply for the permanent residence as the "Selbständige" listed above... I don't know if changing my visa to "spouse visa" would make things more complicated when applying for permanent residence... Thank you very much！  

I read this ( https://www.berlin.de/labo/willkommen-in-berlin/dienstleistungen/service.493516.php/dienstleistung/121864/ ), it says pension is a must, but then pension isn't required for freelancers. I'm a bit confused. Do I have to pay the pension back in order to fulfil this requirement? :(

Dear all, I have been freelancing in Berlin as translator for 4.5 years with a freelancer visa. I don't have public pension as it isn't mandatory for freelancers. I just contribute the TK public insurance. I am getting married soon with my fiance who is an European citizen (non-German). I am thinking to apply for permanent residence once I reach my 5-year stay in Germany and wonder what's the best way to do. My questions are as follows and I would really appreciate your advice:   - Is public pension contributions required when applying for permanent residence in my case? - Are there categories under permanent residences? Do I have to choose whether I am applying for, e.g. permanent residence as freelancer / permanent residence for family reunion / permanent residence as an employed person, etc? Or it doesn't matter as long as I have been residing in Germany for 5 years? - Will I be entitled to do different kind of jobs with the permanent residence? (I am tired of being a freelancer and I am considering the possibility to look for a job once I have the permanent residence, if possible) Thank you very much in advance for your help!    

Hello! I used to use Elster (desktop software) in the past. After completing the yearly tax returns, I printed the submissions out and posted them to the Finanzamt. This year I start using Elster online (the website). I just wonder if I have to print and post the submission to the Finanzamt as well? Thank you very much! apologies if this question has already been answered. I did a search but didn't seem to find it...    

@PandaMunich  thanks a million!

I'm very sorry to tag and bother you @PandaMunich because you have already helped me honestly A LOT along these years. But I guess you may be the only one who may help again this time... I am just not sure if it is correct: - to put income stem from work done in 2017 when I was still a kleinunternehmer but was received in 2018 under "Steuerfreie Umsätze mit Vorsteuerabzug" in the Umsatzsteuererklärung - to put the above income under "Betriebseinnahmen als umsatzsteuerlicher Kleinunternehmer " given that I am not a kleinunternehmer at the moment in Anlage EÜR - to put income from other EU country under "Umsatzsteuerfreie, nicht umsatzsteuerbare Betriebseinnahmen sowie Betriebseinnahmen, für die der Leistungsempfänger die Umsatzsteuer nach § 13b UStG schuldet" in Anlage EÜR Heartfelt Dankeschön in advance!!       

push... so I'm putting this income stem from work done in 2017 when I was still a kleinunternehmer but was received in 2018 (which doesn't contain VAT) under "Steuerfreie Umsätze mit Vorsteuerabzug" in the Umsatzsteuererklärung .... i hope this is correct and won't create more questions from the finanzamt? anybody can help? 

Thank you super much @PandaMunich! just want to make sure that i won't be charged import tax back by the German custom /finanzamt...  

Dears, I have a question about business expense and depreciation of goods. Hope someone could help. I bought a laptop last year in Hong Kong. It was paid by my old Hong Kong credit card. I got an invoice but it was billed to my previoius Hong Kong's home address under my name, not my address in Germany. Questions are: - Can I use this as my business expense if the invoicing address is not my usual German address? My name is on the invoice though. - Can I still claim it in my 2018 tax return with the depreciation amount over 3 years? - I bought it in November 2018, I can only claim 2 months of 36 months for the first time. And then i can claim 12 months in my 2019 tax return, 12 months in 2020, 10 months in 2021. Is this correct? will i actually be in "trouble" because Germany has to charge me back import tax!?!? Thank you so much in advance.  

  Hi, further to my above question asked yesterday about the Anlage EÜR, I have a related question about the Umsatzsteuererklärung. May I ask where should I put the income stem from work done in 2017 (doesn't carry VAT) in the Umsatzsteuererklärung? Is it somewhere under the section "Steuerfreie Umsätze mit Vorsteuerabzug"?  Thank you