Bureaucracy, oh!

[wiseheart]

So, I finally got the papers from the German Rentenkasse, telling me that - starting this month - I'll be the proud receiver of the glorious monthly sum of 50,58€, for the two years I worked in Germany. So far, so good. The main part of my pension is based on the 38 years I worked in Hungary anyway. Only that they couldn't tell me whether I'll have to pay taxes after my enormous German pension.

They gave a link to the website of the Finanzamt, which I followed obediently, finding new links and following them, which led me to more new links, and in the end... I still don't know whether I'll have to pay taxes or not. The whole thing is completely confusing, no-where a clear and simple answer. I'll have to scan the whole (10 pages long) document into my computer and mail it to H., my cousin's wife, who's German, in the hope that she might figure out the hidden truth. *headdesk*

Other than that, I translated another scene from the never-ending story, worked a bit on the Doll House quiet book for a colleague's granddaughters, went to choir practice and nursed my cold. Not much progress in the latter area, unfortunately. *sigh*

Oh, and two days ago I started to post the existing chapters of "Precious Like Rubies" to the hiddenrealms comm. It is a Miss Marple/Sherlock BBC crossover, with a great deal of Torchwood and Whoniverse characters in slightly different roles, beta read by the wonderful and generous lindahoyland, so the grammar won't offend anyone. ;)

I'm planning to post the story to AO3, eventually, in the hope that going through the whole thing might provide me with some inspiration and help me out of the corner where I've managed to write myself. *fingers crossed*

Comments

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

Don't go blowing it all on your new yacht!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Errr... what do you mean?

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

The vast amounts of money from the German pension! *cough*

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see! No, I won't; I can't swim, so a yacht wouldn't be the best investition. But perhaps a castle... as soon as our choir gets hired by the Russian Ballett... *points at next entry*

[artemis10002000]

Oh man, what a hassle with the taxes... The joys of bureaucracy indeed!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Das kannst Du laut sagen! Und ich weiss immer noch nicht ob ich Steuern zahlen muss! Und wenn ja, wie ich das anstellen soll.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I hope all is well with that document and the 'glorious sum' - of course, that's better than a kick in the head.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

It is not a sum I have a problem with. I only worked in Germany for a short time, after all. It is people's maddening incapability to give basic information.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

I see. We call that Doublespeak here and our government is drowning in it.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Ours refer to simple, transparent lies an expects people to buy them. Unfortunately, a great many people actually do.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Sadly, same here... that's how Trump got into the White House.

[red-day-dawning.livejournal.com]

I loathe bureaucratic processes. I think everyone does. You’re a legend for ploughing through and persevering. Yay!
I’d like to read your miss marple crossover - sounds intriguing.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I see you have found it. :)

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Apparently tax law is the same everywhere-as complicated as humanly possible.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

There is nothing human in bureaucracy. :((

[meathiel]

Do you mean having to pay taxes in Germany for that measly amount or in Hungary?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

In Germany, I think. In Hungary you only have to pay taxes as a retiree if you havo any other income than you old age pension. Which I don't.

[meathiel]

The amount should be way too small for having to pay taxes on it ...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but how could I know it? I went to that finanzamt-rente-im-ausland website and couldn't figure out! Why couldn't there be a phone number I could call and a person I could ask; preferably one who would be able to answer, too!

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

Sigh, red tape is what we call it here, the shit you have to wade through to make any progress.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Same shit, many names. My late Grandpa used to say: the shit is the same, only the flies are different.