refund of social security taxes

https://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung-bund.de/DRVB/de/Navigation/Service/Kontakt,https=1.html__nnn=true

Yeah I know the site, but this doesn't work for me. I cannot call German 800 number from here and the message entry form on that page does not accept foreign addresses (USA that is). Danke anyway.

try this one:

drv@drv-bund.de

thanks, I'll try it.

or this phone-number:

00-49-30-8650

Please have your social-security-number by the hand... They will ask for it!

Yeah I've got it. Here is another question for you since you seem to know a lot.

I spent 3 years in Germany (Max Planck Institut) as a scientist, was paid relatively well but since I do not qualify for German "pension" I decided to try to get back my contributions to the German Social Security System.

From what I know if they agree to refunding I'll get 50% of the original contribution.

This needless to say stinks to high heaven, because had I stayed in the US I would be getting life long retirement benefits on those three years. So effectively by working in Germany I lost 3 years of contributions to my future retirement benefits. Which is not nice.

At least Germany should be decent enough to refund all my contributions not only half of them and indexed for the German CPI (consumer price index which in my case would be around 20%).

Otherwise it makes zero sense for any US scientist to take a position in Germany if shorter than 5 years.

I don't think German politicians realize how grossly unjust and counterproductive this situation is so the question is who in your Bundestag/Bundesrat should I write with a suggestion that they consider changing these grossly unfair rules one of these days?

Hi there,

your English is horrible - your questions are just a fake, arn't they?

By the way: 50% means EVERY DM you paid yourself to BfA - only the part your chief paid will stay for the rest of pensionists in Germany - so what?

Sorry some don't like my English but I need to ask one more question because I'm confused about that 50% cut.

50% refund rate is mentioned on the ihre-vorsorge.de site where they claim only 50% of contributions will be refunded.

Is that 50% of the amount shown as Position 23 on Lohnstuerbeshscheinigung (Arbeitnehmeranteil am Gesamtsocialversicherungbeitrag)? or do they mean that 50% reduction simply refers to the matching contribution by the Arbeitgeber that will not be refunded under any circumstances while pos 23 will be fully refunded?

If that's the case I see absolutely no problem i.e. I agree very much with that "so what" sentiment expressed above.

In any case, please don't get me wrong, the fact that one can apply for refund of German social security taxes either in full or part is fantastic, the U.S. never refunds any social security taxes. NEVER.

(Arbeitnehmeranteil am Gesamtsocialversicherungbeitrag) > YES, u only get this part, YOU payed.

Hi J. Giergiel,

please call 0049 030 865-1 or 0049 030 865-0 or e-mail to meinefrage@drv-bund.de

Gerne beraten wir Sie persönlich.
Hier geht es zu den Beratungsangeboten der Deutschen Rentenversicherung.

Die neue Nr. der Zentrale der Dt. RV Bund lautet 030-865-0!!!

Sorry, dann sollte die DRV Bund wohl mal ihre Homepage überarbeiten. Hier ist die von mir genannte Rufnummer mehrfach genannt...

Gerne beraten wir Sie persönlich.
Hier geht es zu den Beratungsangeboten der Deutschen Rentenversicherung.

https://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung-bund.de/nn_7130/DRVB/de/Homepage/aenderung__rufnummer__telefonzentrale,https=1.html

Hallo Schlaumeier,

siehe hier:
http://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung-bund.de/nn_15830/SharedDocs/de/Navigation/Deutsche__RV/Versicherungstraeger__node.html__nnn=true#doc5902bodyText6

und hier:
http://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung-bund.de/nn_20278/DRVB/de/Inhalt/Servicebereich2/Buergerservice/Kommunikationswege.html

;-)

Habe die "neue" Telefonnummer aber bereits in meiner Antwort ergänzt (die alte gilt ja offenbar auch noch für einen Übergangszeitraum)... Danke für den Hinweis!

Gerne beraten wir Sie persönlich.
Hier geht es zu den Beratungsangeboten der Deutschen Rentenversicherung.

Mein Beitrag sollte doch nur aussagen, dass (übergangsweise) die "alte" Nummer auch noch fuznktioniert :-)

Applaus für den "besten" Beitrag dieser Woche.
*knacks* --> Hier, nehmen sie diesen Keks als Zeichen meiner Bewunderung.

"Is that 50% of the amount shown as Position 23 on Lohnstuerbeshscheinigung (Arbeitnehmeranteil am Gesamtsocialversicherungbeitrag)? or do they mean that 50% reduction simply refers to the matching contribution by the Arbeitgeber that will not be refunded under any circumstances while pos 23 will be fully refunded?
"
The "Arbeitnehmeranteil" is the money you yourself paid to Social Security.

"Gesamtsozialversicherungsbeitrag" on the "Lohnsteuerbescheinigung" is your share you paid to all kinds of social security including health insurance and insurance against joblessness or accident while working.
You will not get all of this money back.

What you will get refunded is only the part of your own share to the Social Security on retirement, but this share will be refunded completely (100 %).

As you already wrote that 50% reduction simply refers to the matching contribution by the "Arbeitgeber". This "Arbeitgeberbeitrag" will not get refunded.

Best wishes

Frank

OK, alles klar now, I think.

One more Q though: is it possible to estimate what fraction of the "Gesamtsozialversicherungsbeitrag" is my contribution to the German "Social Security on retirement", that is what fraction will be refunded? 70% more, less?

should be about 10% of Your "Bruttogehalt" as long as it is not higher as the "Beitragsbemessungsgrenze".

For 2008 the "Beitragsbemessungsgrenze" was 63.600 €.
If your working income in 2008 would have been higher than that, your own tax on retirement social security would be 6.360 € for that year and you would get only that back.

But don't nail me on the penny.

You might want also to take a look on that brochure:
http://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung-nord.de/nn_32704/SharedDocs/de/Inhalt/04__Formulare__Publikationen/02__info__broschueren/01__ausland/fremdsprachige__broschueren/working__germany__usa.html

There you can find, that you could get a german pension from only 3 years if you have also 2 years in the US-Social-Security, but the US Social Security could evtl. cut your US-pension.

For that you would have to ask
Social Security Administration Office of International Operations – TotalizationP. O. Box 17049BALTIMORE, MD 21235 – 7049USATelefon (001) 8007721213Telefax (001) 4105971800Internet www.ssa.gov

Best wishes

Frank