Dystild.Finance
    Actually personal finance

    Wherever you are,
    is where we start.

    Whether you're untangling debt, moving countries, getting a new job, or just not sure where to begin —
    clarity is closer than you think.

    ✓No signup required·✓Takes 2 minutes·✓100% free
    Your wealth planLive preview
    0/100
    Money Score
    3 optimizations found that could recover
    +$4,200 / year
    Breakdown
    ✓
    Grow income
    80%
    !
    Grow savings
    40%
    ✕
    Tax-advantaged
    15%
    !
    Compound growth
    55%
    !2 issues need attention
    View plan →
    For expats 🇩🇪

    You finished
    the admin.
    Or so you thought.

    German bureacracy isn't for the faint of heart. We've mapped out the admin and financial details so you don't have to. Every deadline, every form, every decision — in the right order, for your situation.

    The admin you think is done
    ✓
    Anmeldung filed
    Address registered at Bürgeramt
    ✓
    Health insurance set up
    GKV or PKV in place
    ✓
    German bank account open
    Direct debit for rent and utilities
    ?
    German pension contributions
    You've been paying in every month. Do you know how much is there?
    ✗
    Freistellungsauftrag not filed
    Without it, German banks withhold 26.375% tax on every euro of interest and dividends from the first cent. The €1,000 allowance isn't automatic.
    ✗
    183-day rule if working remotely
    Spend more than 183 days in Germany for a non-German employer and Germany can assert tax residency on your global income — regardless of where you think you're resident.
    ✗
    Elterngeld window if you have children
    Parental allowance of up to ~€1,800/month is not automatic. Must be applied for within the first 14 months of a child's life. Missing it means losing the payments entirely.
    What's been building without you deciding
    🏦
    German pension entitlements (GRV)
    → Request yours at deutsche-rentenversicherung.de
    📄
    Unclaimed tax refunds
    → Years 2021–2024 are still claimable in 2025
    💼
    bAV from a previous employer
    → Your employer is legally required to provide the provider details on request
    The cliff most people miss
    5
    years of contributions

    If you leave Germany with fewer than 5 years of pension contributions (60 months), you can apply for a partial refund of your share — typically after a 2-year waiting period.

    Once you cross 5 years, the refund option closes permanently. The money becomes a deferred pension payable at 67.

    Neither outcome is bad — but the decision is irreversible, and almost nobody tells you the clock is running.
    The day you file Abmeldung
    Day 0
    Health insurance ends
    GKV cover stops immediately. There is a gap before your next country's system picks you up.
    Days 1–30
    Brokers start checking addresses
    German brokers receive Abmeldung data. Non-EU address triggers account review. Transfer positions before this window.
    3 months
    PKV cancellation notice expires
    Private health insurance doesn't end automatically. 3-month notice required — Altersrückstellung portability must be arranged before cancellation.
    Jul 31
    Final tax return due
    Departure year requires a split-year return. Mandatory if you had German income. Worth a Steuerberater for this one filing.
    2 years
    Pension refund window opens
    If under 5 years contributions, apply for your GRV refund after the 2-year waiting period. Easy to forget; easy to claim.
    4 years
    Voluntary return window closes
    Last chance to claim refunds for the departure year if filing wasn't mandatory. After this, the money is gone.
    What your Steuerberater covers — and what they don't
    Steuerberater
    ✓Annual tax return, correctly filed
    ✓Deductions you're entitled to claim
    ✓Freelance / Gewerbe tax obligations
    −Whether to cash out or transfer your bAV
    −The GKV vs PKV lock-in and its long-term cost
    −Pension refund eligibility and the 5-year cliff
    −What to do with your German bank account after leaving
    −Whether you're owed refunds from years you didn't file
    !Usually won't tell you what they don't cover
    Dystild
    −Not a tax advisor — use a Steuerberater for filings
    ✓What's been accumulating in the background
    ✓Decision points with irreversible consequences
    ✓The Abmeldung timeline and what each date triggers
    ✓Pension refund cliff and how to claim from abroad
    ✓bAV options and what cashing out actually costs
    ✓What to do with your German bank account
    ✓Official sources on every action — nothing invented

    Let's build you a plan.

    Six questions. A personalised picture of your entitlements, your open decisions, and the deadlines that matter for your situation.

    □ No account
    □ Nothing to sell you
    □ Official sources
    The numbers

    No two financial situations are the same

    Your numbers, your situation,
    your next move.

    Don't file a return
    43%

    of eligible German employees — even though most would get money back.

    Destatis, 2022
    Average refund
    €1,240

    for those who do file voluntarily. Up to 4 years claimable retroactively.

    Destatis, 2022
    Foregone interest
    €70.7B

    lost by German savers in 2023 — cash sitting in Girokonten at ~0%.

    Deutsche Bundesbank, 2023
    Not invested
    4/5

    Germans hold no stocks, funds, or ETFs. Global equity: ~7–8% annualised.

    Deutsches Aktieninstitut, 2023
    What's still claimable right now
    ✓Home office — €6/day, up to €1,260/yr
    ✓Commuting costs above €1,230 flat rate
    ✓Equipment, training, union fees
    ✓Childcare, medical, relocation
    ✓Kirchensteuer paid before opting out

    Most employees aren't required to file — so most don't.

    If you haven't filed in 4 years
    2021~€1,240
    2022~€1,240
    2023~€1,240
    2024~€1,240
    Still recoverable~€4,960
    Based on Destatis avg. Actual refund varies.
    The cost of doing nothing with your savings
    Girokonto
    ~0%
    Tagesgeld
    2.5%
    Global ETF
    ~7–8%

    €70.7B in interest foregone by German savers in 2023 alone.

    €10,000 over 10 years
    Girokonto (0%)€10,000
    Tagesgeld (2.5%)€12,801
    Global ETF (7.5%)€20,610
    Illustrative. Returns not guaranteed. Abgeltungsteuer applies.
    Dystild Finance — Make your money work for you