From today we will try to start a series post on regards to our german lifestyle. Yes, you will see those separately in many sources, but we try to get it together to understand our german lifestyle better.
Clocks will go back 1 hour :
Before you ask: the time change in autumn is the good one! Prepare for an extra hour in bed as the clocks go back at 3 am on the night of October 30 to October 31. We’ll get some different light in the mornings, but the evenings will start to feel considerably darker.
Tax return deadline :
The deadline for self-submitted annual tax returns is fast approaching. The usual deadline of July 31 was extended by three months in 2021 due to the pandemic. So if you are submitting your return, you need to get it to the tax office by October 31, 2021. If you are going through a tax advisor, you have until May 31, 2022.
Petrol stations to show energy price comparisons :
From October 1, larger petrol (filling) stations in Germany will be obliged to display a price comparison chart showing their available energy sources. As a result, consumers will see how much they would pay for different fuel types, including petrol, diesel, hydrogen and electricity, to drive 100 kilometres. The idea is to show motorists what they could have saved with a different fuel type and open their minds to a possible switch.
Sick notes go digital:
The electronic incapacity to work certificate (Eau) will finally arrive on October 1, ushering out the “Gelber Schein” paper. The new digital sicknote should streamline the process of applying for sick leave by enabling doctors to forward a copy directly to the health insurance company, rather than forcing the patient to do so. All medics will have to start issuing digital sick notes by the end of the year.
For the time being, you will still have to pass a paper copy of your certificate on to your employer, but that should change by July 1, 2022.
End of Covid free tests for unvaccinated:
In an attempt to encourage more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the German government will all but scrap its offer of free rapid tests this month. Instead, as of October 11, unvaccinated people will have to pay for tests themselves despite being eligible for a jab. The cost is likely to be around 15 to 20 euros per test.
Quarantine pay ending for unvaccinated
A second regulation with which the German government hopes to put pressure on unvaccinated people is the scrapping of compensation for unvaccinated people who have to go into self-isolation and therefore cannot work. However, the regulation will not stop people from getting paid their wages in the event of illness, regardless of their vaccination status.
The regulation will come into effect from October 11 in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. It will apply nationwide by November 1 at the latest.
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