Thank you.

[maria40]

I thought I had posted yesterday to say thank you to everyone who responded to my post on insomnia but it doesn't seem to show here so maybe my brain is so fogged with lack of sleep I didn't post it properly. Many gave advice - thank you again - on how to deal with the HMRC but my problem is with the German tax authorities, a very different kettle of fish. My German has become rusty and I'm not sure how far I trust Goggle translate but I will try to write to them.

[SheffieldJane]

There is a Google translate function that might make your letter easier. Nobody expects a thank you. That would double the traffic on here. 😃

[piglette in reply to SheffieldJane]

I used the German translate recently for a letter and it came out complete gobbledegook.

[SheffieldJane in reply to piglette]

Oh dear!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If I remember rightly my husband phoned them to discuss his pension stuff - which is a whole lot easier than writing even when it must be done in German. He did do his all in German but he says there is an Auslandsstelle and we can't imagine they don't have multi-lingual staff.

However - he doesn't understand because you shouldn't be paying tax on your pension in Germany if you live in the UK, you should be declaring it in your country of residence. He has a German pension and we live in Italy - and are liable for tax in both the UK and here, not in Germany. But you surely should only be paying in the UK if you are British and living there? Initially he thought he was liable for tax in Germany and got all the documentation to file a tax return there including certificates from here, as if filing 2 returns every year weren't enough. The German authorities then returned it all saying it was nothing to do with them and should be done here.

As a former professional translator - German to English only though - I can tell you that while German to English google translate MIGHT allow YOU to understand them, the other way round is NOT guaranteed!

[maria40 in reply to PMRpro]

The whole thing is mystifying. With the German tax demands they sent a copy of an HMRC document stating that German state security pensions - mine is a widow's pension - are taxable only in Germany and are not taxable in the UK. This is dated March 2017 so is it being applied retrospectively - who knows! Germany wants me to pay interest on a debt I didn't know I had. Anyway. recovering from initial shock I feel very angry and am going write a STRONG letter to HMRC. Will try to call the Finanzamt as well.

I agree about Google translate, I read German reasonably well, only the bureaucratic stuff mystifies me.

I slept a little better last night ( without the Zopiclone) but did have a nasty SVT prolonged episode today. Do wish for some of my husband's bolshi northern attitude, not to mention his bilingual facility then I wouldn't be so stressed.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to maria40]

I know native Germans who find the bureaucratic stuff mystifying! And if you think they are bad - try Italy!!!!