We had a huge response to our discounted Life Admin service as the Corona wave hit Europe. It seemed to be just the right antidote at just the right time. Although our standard Life Admin service will return to its previous price (49 EUR per hour) from 24th May, we’ve decided to keep the discount in place for ALGI/ALGII recipients.
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Category Archive: Being self-employed
Financial help for Berlin cultural workers after all?
The Berlin Senate met yesterday to discuss how to support artists and cultural workers during the Corona crisis. The Senate resolved to convince the Bundesrat (German council of states) to request that the Federal government support artists and freelancers in cultural and media by paying them a flat fee of 1,180€ monthly while they are unable to work. In Baden-Württemburg, this initiative has already been combined with the Federal “Soforthilfe” programme.
If this goes through, it won’t be influenced by savings or assets – just a flat fee to cover living expenses. The decision in Berlin is only at the Senate level so far, so there is still a long way to go. There might be opposition. But it an important decision and we will wait eagerly to see how it develops.
Press release from the Senate here.
Companies and corporations affected by COVID-19 in Germany: ways to keep afloat
The German Ministry of Finance sat down with the German Ministry of Economics and put their heads together to figure out how to save the thousands of businesses affected by the Corona virus, quickly and with minimum red tape (should we be offended?). This is what they came up: find out if your business is eligible and how to apply for these programs.
Government grants to help the freelance and self-employed in Germany during COVID19
There are plenty of grants, loans and aid programmes proposed for residents of Germany during this difficult time, but there’s a distinct group of people who might not be eligible for any of them, and also aren’t quite ready to dive into the world of welfare at the speed of light: solo freelancers and small businesses. Recognising this, Bavaria took the lead and introduced “immediate aid” for small businesses and freelancers. NRW, Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg and Thüringen followed suit. Berlin and Niedersachsen are the latest states to offer the grant. … Read More
How to get compensation from the Department of Health during quarantine
Second only to the word “Coronavirus” that gets thrown about in the media is the word “Entschädigung” (compensation). You might have heard that you’re entitled to a compensation if you are not permitted to do your job due to a quarantine or work ban. This information is brand new, it was only published last night. … Read More
My New Home
I have a confession to make. I applied to join the Factory some months ago, and my application was rejected… I sulked for a week. It was probably just bad timing, but the Factory Berlin was never far from my mind. I ran into a few friends who flaunted their coveted memberships and got a hot tip from one of them – I should reapply, as they’ve just opened a brand new building, and the timing is golden.
I sent off a killer application, added a healthy dose of Vitamin B, and within a week, I got the green light!
What’s the Difference Between the German Tax ID Number and the Freelance Tax Number?
You say Steuernummer and I say Steuer-ID-Nummer,
You say Umsatz-ID-Nummer and I say Sozialversicherungsnummer.
Steuernummer, StIDNr, UStID-Nr, SV-Nummer, let’s call the whole thing off.
Hmm. Not really an option. So instead, I’ll take you through it simply, carefully and lovingly. I wish everyone would sing songs about tax.
Freelance Teachers in Germany Must Pay into the Pension Fund
There’s an old law from 1913 that will interest you if you’re a freelance teacher in Germany. It’s from §2 of Book 6 of the German Social Code, it covers the Statutory Pension System in Germany, and it goes a little something like this: