British Expats

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-   -   Medical Insurance (https://britishexpats.com/forum/germany-134/medical-insurance-878104/)

hales May 28th 2016 8:16 pm

Medical Insurance
 
I'm still having trouble with my German Medical Insurance. They are now taking over 200euros a month from me because of my Military Pension. They class it as a private pension. Has anyone else out there had the same problem?

Cynic May 29th 2016 10:21 am

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Had the same problem in Holland. Your forces pension is classed as income and taxed in the UK at source; you shouldn't be paying German income tax on the pension as there is a double-taxation agreement in place between UK/D. However, there is a difference between Income Tax and Health Insurance (which are regarded as social taxes) and fall outside the scope of the double-taxation agreements, so the system requires you to contribute to the Health Insurance fund on top of paying income tax. We looked at moving across the border to Gronau if that got us around it - it didn't.

The good(ish) news is that assuming you have paid enough UK National Insurance to qualify; when you receive the UK state pension, you can apply for an S1 form from the UK pension office and assuming that German pensioners no longer pay for Healthcare when they retire, nor will you.

hales May 29th 2016 3:20 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Thanks for that Cynic. My situation is that I get a military pension (27 years) a small German pension (18 years) and of course my Old Age pension. I don't mind contributing but I object to being taken for a ride. Over the last couple of years they have increased from 100 to 200euros a month.

Cynic May 29th 2016 4:03 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Have you tried applying for the S1 form from the UK?

hales May 29th 2016 7:14 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Not yet but I have written to some EU Agency who are supposed to look into it.

Cynic May 29th 2016 8:31 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Here's a link to the UK Government website that tells you about it (it includes a phone number you can contact); here's another link to the application form(s).

You don't need to pay any agency for this stuff.

hales Jun 1st 2016 7:06 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
If you simply require information about yourInternal Market rights in general, we would invite you to consult the YourEurope website which contains a wealth of detailed information about yourrights and how to exercise them in each EU country. More general information onthe EU are available online on the Europe Direct website or via the free phoneservice at 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11.

Novocastrian Jun 1st 2016 7:13 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 

Originally Posted by Cynic (Post 11958933)
The good(ish) news is that assuming you have paid enough UK National Insurance to qualify; when you receive the UK state pension, you can apply for an S1 form from the UK pension office and assuming that German pensioners no longer pay for Healthcare when they retire, nor will you.

I'm not sure that this is relevant but I've been told that to get state health care as a retiree in Germany you need to have spent 50% of your working life in that country since the age of 19.

calman014 Jun 2nd 2016 1:42 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 

Originally Posted by hales (Post 11959104)
My situation is that I get a military pension (27 years) a small German pension (18 years) and of course my Old Age pension.

Don't think you will get away with paying less.. go see a tax advisor if you are not sure.

Rules around NHS coverage abroad after retirement are complex.

You won't pay income tax in both countries..but you may have to contribute to German health Insurance based on your total income.

calman014 Jun 2nd 2016 1:48 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
See my old posting:

Originally Posted by calman014 (Post 11844003)
Hales:

A UK (ex) Military pension is not the same as a UK (state) Pension.

Based on your residency your rights and entitlements will be adjusted accordingly under EU rules.

To receive a German Pension of any kind you would have had to be on the German system for a minimum of 5 years. I therefore assume you have lived/worked in Germany for a while in that case.

Your military pension would not be taxed by UK if you live outside UK or are classed as non-resident in UK by HMRC.

If you have a dual entitlement to a UK State pension, the Military pension is reduced by a percentage to take account of that. (how nice of them).

Once again you would have to check if you are paying UK Tax on that or not. Being resident in Germany, that should not be the case.

If you do pay UK taxes for some reason, there are dual taxation agreements between UK and Germany so you'll only pay taxes in one place or the other.

The German tax office will look at your total income from UK and tax you accordingly. You would pay the regular Krankenkasse charges like now.

If you are stumped by all this, go visit a tax advisor (Steuerberater).
For 50 - 60 Euro's they can normally clear up these questions.


Cynic Jun 2nd 2016 6:49 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 

Originally Posted by calman014 (Post 11962927)
See my old posting:

All UK forces reckonable service pensions are liable to UK income tax; they are taxed at source. If you live in a country that has a double-tax agreement with the UK, then you won't get hammered twice. If you live in the UK, you can offset your pension against tax-free income allowance.

If you're in receipt of a Forces Pension and don't pay UK tax, then please let me know how as there are are many ex-squaddies who would love to know how? :)

calman014 Jun 3rd 2016 7:08 am

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Everyones circumstances are different. As long as you only pay tax in one place I suppose that's sufficient. The pensions office are quite helpful with questions of that nature. It's important to check with them/HMRC in UK and a tax advisor in your country of residence and get copies of relevant docs.

quiltman Jun 3rd 2016 9:15 am

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Right, here's the link to the DTT with Germany, I'll let you plod through it!
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...y-tax-treaties

In principle, all government (teachers, military, police etc) and state pensions are taxable in the UK unless SPECIFICALLY stated in the relevant DTT as being exempt.The US is one exception I know of.Here's the definitions INTM343040 - DT claims and applications - Types of income: Pensions and Annuities Your state and military pensions are added together, your tax free allowance deducted and any tax due is taken from your military pension as by law, HMRC cannot take tax from your State pension. With regards to your German pension , I have no idea how this is treated for tax and/or health purposes. As a British citizen you can apply for the S1 as others have indicated which may help.

hales Jun 5th 2016 1:10 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
Hi! As far as I can make out the S1 does not cover many countries.

hales Jun 5th 2016 1:17 pm

Re: Medical Insurance
 
For Cynic, do the Squaddies know that they can claim some of their wives tax allowance if she has not used all her entitlement?


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