Reply to: Permy German Job

[Sysman]

Yes you can watch TV after 10pm. If not then how would I be able to watch those top notch art programs? It can be against the 'hausordnung' to play it too loud though after 10pm but that's never stopped me. The neighbours must think that I'm a very cultural person.

Any recommendations on those art programmes?

[AlfredJPruffock]

no noise is to be made on a sunday either.. i.e chopping wood for the log fire in winter and/or hammering IKEA units together..

CareFul with that Axe Chef ...

[chef]

no noise is to be made on a sunday either.. i.e chopping wood for the log fire in winter and/or hammering IKEA units together..

[AlfredJPruffock]

What? You can't watch TV after 10pm? Or is it against the law to play it too loud?

Also how would they know if you weren't payng the "church tax", and what business is it of theirs what your religion is?

You will find as an Auslander you will not be able to make any noise which is demed by your neighbors as being 'too loud' after 10pm - save the sound of your boots being dragged over the cobblestones by the Ordungsampt.

But on the plus side - they do have an excellent Heath Service.

And an excellent Social Security System.

And some gorgeous women.

And some wonderful Beers.

As for the Church Tax this is administred by - The Church Police.

So you might get a knock on the door from the Vicar-General-Von Brimstone

PS I opted not to pay the Church Tax - at the time my German girfriend explaiined to me its not a big deal - unless you want to get a Church wedding or burial - well I didnt fancy either of those options - I still had to pay re-unification tax - you cannot opt out of that one ...


PPS Do not wash your car in the street - you will be fined for this - you have to use a local Car Wash

[BlasterBates]

It appears tax is higher in DE

Does a functional health service, what seem to be pretty good unemployment insurance make up for it?

The cost of living appears to be less as well?

Unemployment benefit is very good and the state pension is much higher, 60% of salary approx. Health service is generally much better i.e. no waiting lists.

Yes everything is much cheaper than in the UK so your lower take home does go much further. You can do a meal with wine for about 20 Euros, 30 absolute max.

[darmstadt]

What? You can't watch TV after 10pm? Or is it against the law to play it too loud?

Also how would they know if you weren't payng the "church tax", and what business is it of theirs what your religion is?

Yes you can watch TV after 10pm. If not then how would I be able to watch those top notch art programs? It can be against the 'hausordnung' to play it too loud though after 10pm but that's never stopped me. The neighbours must think that I'm a very cultural person. There are rules here that might seem strange but they make things work. For example you can't park your car on the street facing oncoming traffic, cross the road only when the green man shows, etc.

I don't pay church tax and I won't. When you register here there is a little box on the form asking if you're a member of a church and if you're RC or Evangelical then you'll be liable to pay it but it is quite easy to stop paying it.

[the_duderama]

playing your TV after ten , washing your car in the street etc etc

What? You can't watch TV after 10pm? Or is it against the law to play it too loud?

Also how would they know if you weren't payng the "church tax", and what business is it of theirs what your religion is?

[AlfredJPruffock]

When I was in Hamburg I worked beside an American who had been forewarned and said religion "None". But he pissed off a German colleague who knew that his family had been RC, so he shopped the American to the Finanzamt, and the guy was done. Not a joke.

Live long and prosper. Oops.

Doesnt surprise me - theres a saying in Germany - 'Every man has one foot in prison' - wait till you get a load of the Men in Green Hats (Ordnungsamst) who busy themselves looking for things which are not 'in order' - playing your TV after ten , washing your car in the street etc etc

If you dont sign up for the Church Tax you will be shunned by the maintstream Germans who do take this seriously - oh and if you happen to die over there - you will not get buried by the Church - mind you - when you die - youve got nothing to worry about at all.

[sunnysan]

So

It appears tax is higher in DE

Does a functional health service, what seem to be pretty good unemployment insurance make up for it?

The cost of living appears to be less as well?

[darmstadt]

When I was perm my take home was around 45% but I was tax class 1. Someone is trying to get me to take up a permie job here and I'm a bit tempted as the take home salary is nearly equivalent to what I'm earning as a contractor this year...

[tim123]

...ah you need to factor in health and pensions. The tax aint bad at all. Are you sure your Sozialversicherung was in there. Sozialversicherung is about 20% and includes Unemployment, health and pensio.

My take home was 55%, excluding health, because I had private health insurance.

I would expect your take home to be around 3000 a month, if your married with kids then it is much better.

I agree. The perms that I worked with got about 50% in their pocket.

tim

[tim123]

When I was in Hamburg I worked beside an American who had been forewarned and said religion "None". But he pissed off a German colleague who knew that his family had been RC, so he shopped the American to the Finanzamt, and the guy was done. Not a joke.

Live long and prosper. Oops.

I know someone who was RC and to save the tax said none.

Then he met a nice (RC) German girl and wanted to get married.

Boy was she pissed when she found out that they couldn't get married in church because he hadn't been paying the tax

tim

[Cyberman]

... and don't forget to hire a tax advisor at the end of the year to get you a nice fat tax rebate for the multitude of allowances that permies qualify for.... eg: second home, mileage for travel to work or second home.

[BlasterBates]

...ah you need to factor in health and pensions. The tax aint bad at all. Are you sure your Sozialversicherung was in there. Sozialversicherung is about 20% and includes Unemployment, health and pensio.

My take home was 55%, excluding health, because I had private health insurance.

I would expect your take home to be around 3000 a month, if your married with kids then it is much better.

[expat]

But "had been" signifies the past. Surely he could have claimed to be an apostate? Unless the RC church still imposes death for this?

The church might let him go but the taxman wouldn't!