Job Discussion Forums

[43]

I know that there are numerous posts about freelance visas in Germany - my situation I think is a little different.

I am here with my husband and through him I will get my residency. So, I am not applying for a freelance visa, I am allowed to stay. I have healthcare through my husband, so I am not worried about all that stuff.

I was just recently offered a freelance position with an english school and was told that I can start right away, and all I need to do is file my taxes in 2009 and claim the income. I was also told by the auslanderbehorde that if I get a job offer, they will have to 'proof' it first and allow it. I was told that this proofing is not needed for freelance contracts. Is this true? Can I just start working and then claim this income on my taxes without filling out any other paperwork?

Could it be this simple?

[Coogar]

Yes, it is that easy
I just checked the German law for this case and it says that only employment is restricted but that you are free to offer services as 'Freiberufler' (freelance). So just make sure you get the paperwork done at the end of the year and send it in before March.
Good luck! Coog

[43]

Thanks for the info Coogar! I have heard more of the same from a few others since I posted my question.

Is there anywhere that we can find all this tax information in English (as my German is getting better, but not quite good enough to decipher tax law)?

[Coogar]

Well, I am German, so I am pretty much in the position to assure you two things: What I told you about what I've read as part of German law, that's the law! (And that actually has somevalue in Germany as you might have noticed;)
If you get an information from any office called a 'Beh�rde', you can rely on it! (as so happened with your visit at the Ausl�nderbeh�rde). But if you still feel insecure about what you've been told, get a written version of it from the office (they shouldn't have any problems providing a copy of the 'Gesetzestext').
Other than that I'd recommend to run the legal text through a translation machine. Here's the text:
Ist der Ausl�nder im Besitz einer Aufenthaltsgenehmigung, die keine Auflage enth�lt oder nicht nur zu einem bestimmten Zweck erteilt wurde, kann er � unter den allgemeinen gewerberechtlichen Voraussetzungen, die auch f�r deutsche Staatsb�rger gelten � ein eigenes Unternehmen gr�nden. Das ist in der Regel bei Aufenthaltsberechtigungen und bei unbefristeten Aufenthaltserlaubnissen der Fall.

The only English version of a text I could find is the following. Hope it helps.
http://www.migrationsrecht.net/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,127/task,cat_view/gid,161/