Toytown Germany

  Thomas Zitzelsberger specialises as an expat tax advisor since 1997. He is a fully qualified accountant under German and Irish law and has gained extensive practical experience in advising individuals on both domestic an international tax issues. He has three years work experience in the UK, Ireland and USA. This means he and his team have an in depth knowledge of different tax systems in these countries as well as speaking both English and German fluently. This background gives EXPATTAX clients the comfort of knowing that everything is taken care of.   100% of Thomas's business can be conveniently conducted via email or telephone. A face-to-face meeting is not required. This saves you both time and money. Thomas is based in Munich, but he can provide equal services to clients anywhere in the world.   At www.expattax.de you can find a full online tax calculator in English language to use for free. In the blog section you will find answers in English language to most of your specific tax questions as an expat - in the unlikely event that you don't, give us a shout.     Thomas Zitzelsberger Spitzelbergstraße 12 B 81476 Munich Tel.: 0049-89-92 13 13 96-0 Email: info@expattax.de Web: www.expattax.de (contains FAQ pages about German taxes)   This is a paid placement posting.

Some of the teachers at Phorms, a network of seven bilingual schools in Germany, are taking lessons out of the classroom to increase children’s engagement with both learning and the natural world. Remember those halcyon days of childhood, when you would ride your bike for hours or climb trees with friends? With the introduction of modern technology and increased road traffic, many children are missing out on this experience entirely.   Instead an increasing number of children in Germany between the ages of three and 13 spend almost an hour-and-a-half watching TV each day. On top of that, they spend almost the same amount of time staring at a computer or smartphone screen. That’s around three hours of being indoors and inactive every day.   Maria Tasker, a British biology in Baden-Wurttemburg, understands the importance of fresh air for children. She also believes that the best way to learn biology is by being immersed in the natural world. It’s for these reasons that Maria regularly takes her classes outside for practical lessons.   Read more via thelocal.de: The bilingual schools taking the teaching outdoors   And find out more about Phorms education in Germany     This is a paid placement posting.

ZELLER & SEYFERT – Employment Law and IP/IT Law for Expats in Germany     Atty. Dr. Christian Zeller and Atty. Dr. Christian Seyfert, LL.M., specialize in German Employment Law and IP/IT Law. Both are passionate litigators at court and have worked and studied abroad (USA, UK, NZ).   ZELLER & SEYFERT PartGmbB mainly represent expats in Germany and medium-sized international companies before German and European courts and before German and European authorities.   We provide courtroom representation and advice in the following subareas of Employment & Labor Law and IP/IT Law:   - Termination, Resignation & Dismissal (Severance Packages) - Trademark Law - Management Liability - Copyright Law - Non-compete Cases / Competition Law - Patent Law - Pension Disputes - Design Law - Film Law - Music Law - Media Law & Entertainment Law - Employee Invention Law - Internet Law for Online Businesses - Protection of Personality Rights (Defamation) - Commercial Agent Claims - Shareholder Disputes (GmbH, eG, AG, SE, KG)   Our fee structure is fair and transparent. You will never receive a surprise bill from our firm. We mainly bill on a fixed fee basis for milestones agreed upon beforehand. Furthermore, we are open for success driven fees where this is permitted by German law.   We are based in Frankfurt am Main and have meeting rooms in Berlin. But as we can provide most of our services web-based, via email and via telephone, we are used to work for clients from all over Germany – and literally anywhere in the world.   It is easy to get in touch with us: Our telephone lines are open 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. Your request through our contact form or via email will be responded to by a German qualified Attorney within significantly less than 24 hours.     Law Firm Headquarters: ZELLER & SEYFERT Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwaelten mbB Tower 185 Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 35-37 D-60327 Frankfurt am Main Germany Tel.: +49 (0)69-58 80 972-40 (native English-speaking secretary) Fax: +49 (0)69-58 80 972-31 E-mail: mail@zellerseyfert.com Internet: www.zellerseyfert.com   Office Berlin: Friedrichstrasse 88 10117 Berlin Germany Tel.: +49 (0)30-34 40 834-02 (native English-speaking secretary) Fax: +49 (0)30-34 40 834-03 E-mail: berlin@zellerseyfert.com Internet: www.zellerseyfert.com

Post here if you know of a local kindergarten that has places available, or if you are seeking a place.

  Red Tape Translation   Translation, interpreting, and telephone help for English speakers in Germany.   Visiting public offices in Germany can be stressful if you haven't yet mastered German. Hiring a relocation agent or an immigration lawyer is costly. Red Tape Translation is an affordable solution: a German language expert will come with you and interpret at your appointment in Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, or Hamburg.   Ausländerbehörde (foreigner's office), Agentur für Arbeit, Jobcenter, Standesamt, apartment viewings… a German-English interpreter or translator makes your job and your case worker’s job much easier. Sign a rental contract in Hamburg, view an apartment in Frankfurt, organize your unemployment benefits in Cologne or sort out your freelance artist’s visa in Berlin. Tape Translation will come along with you for a price that won't break the bank.   Book Telephone Time to get through your important German phone calls, Germany-wide. Much cheaper and more personal than a translation hotline, you buy a block of Kathleen's time in advance, and use it when you want to make German phone calls. Get Skype help before you even leave your home country, and know exactly which documents you need to pack. This service is great for calling your landlord, organising repairs, booking a doctor’s appointment, or finding out what you need to bring to your work permit appointment. Over Skype, you can use it from anywhere in the world.   Red Tape Translation offers: Document translation (both directions) Certified translations (both directions) Interpreting at your appointment Help for new expats for those who are planning a trip to Germany Help for pregnant women or families with new babies: Elterngeld, Kindergeld, Jugendamt, Familienkasse German - English interpreting on the phone (Germany-wide) Skype help with filling out forms and preparing for appointments Help finalising everything when you leave Germany   Kathleen Parker is a translator, writer and editor living in Berlin. Having gone through just about every bureaucratic process possible in Germany, she did it all the hard way - on her own. In the process, Kathleen and her expat friends and colleagues made and learned from just about every mistake it’s possible for a foreigner to make in Germany. Red tape Translation got started in 2012, and now enlists the help of friendly bilingual interpreters and translators in Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Hamburg.   Angaben gemäß § 5 TMG:   Red Tape Translation Kathleen Parker www.redtapetranslation.com Tel.: +49 30 2089 6634 Ust-IdNr: DE282731584   This is a paid placement posting.

  The Bavarian Alps just south of Munich are a great place for a day of hiking. There are many mountains between 1,500 and 2,500 meters high with great views and interesting trails, all waiting to be explored by us.   We try to plan our hiking tours every weekend, either Saturday or Sunday depending on the weather. We don't go when thunderstorms are forecast. Our tours are typically between 800m and 1600m of height difference and 14km to 25km of distance. Usually they take between 6 and 10 hours. We start the season with the easier ones and during the year they will get more difficult (and more exciting). Often there are mountain huts on the way where we can buy food and drink. But be prepared with enough food and water in your backpack.   Although these tours are intended for meeting friendly people with the same passion for hiking out in the nature, they are often not for absolute beginners who haven't done any sport during the past two years. Hiking is sport and it is exhausting :-) ... even the easier tours have 800m of height difference and require a certain level of fitness.   This thread will be updated every time a new hiking tour is anounced. So click the "Follow this" button top right of the page if you are interested in receiving updates via email.   What you must always bring: - Hiking boots or hiking shoes - backpack - snacks and water (2 liters) - sunhat, sunglasses, suncream - water proof jacket and overtrousers   Always a good idea: - light jacket or sweater in case if it gets cold - dry shirt if the first one is wet from sweating - map and waterproof map cover - hiking sticks   Who can come? Depends on the tour. The easier ones require you to manage 6 to 7 hours of walking with continuous 2 to 4 hours of ascent (often steep). Also you should not have problems with heights. At some points you need to hike on cliff edges and sometimes you even need your hands. The difficulty will be announced on each tour. So please make sure that you are fit enough. :-)   What else? Things don't always work out as planned. Weather, trains, and conditions can change without notice, so a resilient sense of humour is always required. This is a meeting of friends organized by unpaid volunteers so you remain responsible for your own safety.   See also the related Facebook page: Munich International Hiking. And also the related Meetup page: Munich International Hiking.   And the archive thread from hikes in previous weeks.

Meetup held regularly for English-speakers in Stuttgart.   The venue varies monthly so check back on this thread often.   Click the "Follow this" button top-right to receive updates via email.   See also the archived posts from previous weeks.      

Who's suffering now?   As an EFL teacher for 30 years and independent insurance broker in Hamburg since 1992, John is very familiar with expat needs and solutions to these regarding insurance matters. John's specialities are:   Expert advice on full and supplementary health insurance for self employed and employed expats in Germany Quick professional support for visa applicants and the appropriate health insurance Income care Tax optimizing private and company pension plans Long term nursing care insurance Low cost term life insurance Household contents/renter's insurance Private liability and legal insurance Professional liability insurance   John always enjoys offering independent and free advice. At the client's request, consultation can be in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and, finally, in French (on a good day!).   Feel free to skype anytime if you want face to face contact, including weekends. If calling from outside Europe, please don't forget the time difference!   John Gunn & Partner Radickestr. 28 21079 Hamburg   Website: www.gunnpartner.com Email: info@gunn-partner.de Tel.: +30 (0)28 4209 4757 Mobile: +49 (0)172 948 2994 OR +49 (0) 40 87409692 Skype: john.gunn3   This is a paid placement posting.

Every Thursday evening English-speaking readers of this chat forum meet up for drinks, chat, and a laugh at some bar or pub in Berlin.   Event details: The venue varies from week to week, check the discussion below, and title of this page above, for latest info (see venue history) The number of attendees also varies, but usually around twenty people join each week Everyone is encouraged to post up a message if they intend to come Newcomers are always welcome. Introduce yourself online here so that others know to expect you on the evening Every Sunday at midnight all the chat from previous weeks is automatically moved to the discussion archive. See also the photo sets: one, two, three.    

Huntcrest Building Services     Qualified tradesmen Native English-speaking (good German) For all your needs, big and small   Their services include: Painting and decorating Parkett/laminate/carpet laying Kitchen installing Carpentry work Plumbing Electrical Tiling Light fittins/curtain rails/pictures Furniture assembly Cleaning Rubbish removal Transportation and moving service     For free advice and quotation contact: Mike - 0163 4804795 Lee - 0172 8658524 Email - Huntcrest_services@yahoo.com ...or use their online contact form     This is a paid placement posting.

Every Wednesday evening at an Indian restaurant in Munich. Location varies each week.   Curry night is not just about having good food but also about having great time and lots of fun. The cultural diversity of people who are regularly part of this event is as colorful as the curry itself with all its different flavors and spices.   We particularly encourage newbies to join us and they are heartily welcome. It is one of the best events to ease yourself into TT where you can make instant friends over drinks and fine food in a pressure-free, casual atmosphere.   Come join us cuz when you are here, you are family.   Click the "Follow this" button top right to receive updates via email.     Every Sunday night at midnight all replies to this post are automatically moved to the discussion archive.