FAQ

The insurance is provided on statutory legal provisions, rather than through an insurance contract with a corresponding right to cancel. The entitlements you have acquired through this compulsory insurance were funded equally by your employer, with the aim of providing an occupational pension provision. These can only be paid out under strict conditions by way of a contribution refund or settlement. If the entitlements you have acquired are non-forfeitable, you will receive a pension from them, which is intended to provide you with security in old age.  Company pension law does not provide for the right to cancel your insurance.

Compulsory insurance comes into effect when you take up employment at a member theatre. Compulsory insurance is only terminated if the stage profession is no longer exercised.  Civil Servants are subject to special regulations. If you are a civil servant, please contact the pension institution directly.

The exemption from contributions can end by taking up compulsory employment at a member theatre. If you are a self-employed artist and meet the requirements for voluntary insurance (without an employer’s share), an exemption from contribution can be changed to voluntary contribution.

Continued insurance must be declared in writing within one year of any one of the following events:

• End of employment at the theatre
• After payment of the retirement pension due to occupational disability or incapacity for work
• In the event of illness after the end of continued payment of salary or sick pay allowance
• During parental leave.

The basic contribution for retroactive months must be paid within 3 months of the pension organisation receiving the declaration of continued insurance. The basic contribution rate (€12.50/month) for future months can be paid by 31 March of the following year.

The additional contributions (contributions over €12.50/month) must be paid by 31 December of the current year.

Please note that voluntary payments can only be confirmed for tax purposes in the year of payment.

Minimum monthly contribution: €12.50

Maximum monthly contribution: 16% of the contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance (BBG)

Continued insurance ends

• upon taking up employment subject to compulsory insurance* → transfer to compulsory insurance
• by written declaration at the end of the following month → if applicable, transfer to non-contributory insurance if no compulsory insurance follows
• retroactively due to payment arrears beyond 31 March of the following year → transfer to non-contributory insurance
• upon the payment of benefits (with the exception of medical cost subsidies)

Please note:  Continued insurance will not take effect if the required payments or declarations are not made within the given deadlines.

*Note: Continued insurance is not automatically terminated upon taking up employment subject to compulsory insurance. The insured person must notify us of the termination of continued insurance.

Continued insurance is interrupted by any employment, but contributions will continue to be debited unless you inform us otherwise. Any excess contributions debited will be applied as additional contributions.

Contributions can be paid by bank transfer, monthly or annually. Please ensure that you enter our account details and the purpose of payment (insurance number - V1 - BS - 502000 and the relevant contribution period) correctly.  An easier option is to have the contributions debited directly from your current account. Collections are made using the Europe-wide standardised SEPA Core Direct Debit Scheme.

Yes, always at the beginning of the following month via written notification. The maximum contribution is 16% of the contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance (BBG).

In addition to the compulsory/continued insurance contribution or the contribution to voluntary insurance, an additional contribution can also be paid up to the maximum contribution rate. The maximum contribution rate corresponds to 16% of the applicable income threshold. Back payments for additional contributions can be paid up to 31 December of the current year for all months of the previous year for which a contribution has already been paid. Your payment as such is a sufficient notification, a separate declaration is not necessary.

Additional contributions can also be paid monthly if desired.  If so, the pension fund requires an advance notification in order to correctly allocate these funds towards your account.

An additional contribution can be transferred as a standing order or as a one-off payment. In the case of a one-off payment, in addition to the reference ‘Insurance number - V1 - BS - 502000’, it is necessary to state the year for which the additional contribution is to be allocated towards. We require an advance notification of standing bank orders, otherwise we cannot properly allocate funds towards your account. A monthly direct debit via the pension fund is only permitted if you provide us with a valid SEPA mandate.

Please note that voluntary payments can only be confirmed for tax purposes in the year of payment.

 If you are voluntarily insured (without employer’s contributions), the entirety of your contribution is counted as a voluntary contribution. This contribution cannot be supplemented by additional payments.   

The following individuals can take out voluntary insurance:

• self-employed artists from the independent dance and theatre scene who pursue their artistic activities on a permanent and commercial basis.
• self-employed artists working as conductors, directors, choreographers, stage or costume designers and in comparable artistic professions, as well as puppeteers and stage musicians at VddB member theatres.

Voluntary insurance must be applied for in writing. The application form is available in the download center. The insurance does not take effect before the first of the month in which the application is received by the pension fund. For voluntary insurance to come into effect, the initial contribution must be paid within three months of approval.

In addition to the application, the following documents are required:

• Proof of your employment in an artistic field for last two years at least. If possible, proof of future projects (contracts, brochures, flyers etc.)
• Proof of the annual income generated by your artistic activities. A notice from the Künstlersozialkasse will suffice.

Minimum monthly contribution: € 12.50

Maximum monthly contribution: 16% of the contribution assessment ceiling for general pension insurance

Contributions can be paid by bank transfer. Please ensure that you enter our account details and the purpose of the transfer (insurance number - V1 - BS - 502000 and the relevant contribution period) correctly. An easier option is to have the contributions debited directly from your current account.  The collection is carried out using the standardized Europe-wide SEPA Core Direct Debit Scheme.

Yes, always at the beginning of the next month by written notification.

• Upon taking up employment subject to compulsory insurance → transfer to compulsory insurance
• By written declaration effective at the end of the following month → transfer to non-contributory insurance
• Retroactively due to payment arrears beyond March 31 of the following year → transfer to non-contributory insurance.

The portions of your pension benefits based on allowances are fully taxable, a so-called deferred taxation (§ 22 no. 5 sentence 1 EStG).

Since the first of January 2018 and as a result of the Occupational Pensions Strengthening Act (Betriebsrentenstärkungsgesetz), the portions of your pension derived from your pension savings assets (§ 92 EStG), are no longer subject to statutory health and long-term care insurance. This also applies to your Riester-subsidies.

The tax certificate can only be issued and sent out at the end of March, as employers have until then to prepare statements for the previous year. Earlier dispatch is not possible and is not prescribed by law.

Both values have nothing to do with each other. Please compare the terms ‘old-age pension contribution’ and ‘old-age pension assets’ in the glossary.

• Pension contribution = personal contributions paid, if acceptable, employee contributions + voluntary contributions
• Pension assets = theoretical capital value

Your pension contribution only contains the sum of your employee contributions since (at the earliest) 2002 and your continued insurance / additional contributions paid since (at the earliest) 2002.

Your tax office may not be able to query the pension contributions required for the deduction of special expenses online, even though the notifications are correct.

Tax offices can enquire with the ZfA (customer service hotline) if you are unable to request the relevant notifications online from the ZfA. Contact persons are available there who can respond specifically to questions from the tax authorities.

For data protection reasons, clarification can only be obtained via your tax office.

ZfA customer service hotline: 03381 - 21 22 23 24

Yes, but only up to a maximum of two years retrospectively due to legal regulations.

From the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung).

Yes, every person who is registered in Germany has this 11-digit number. It is unchangeable (unlike the tax number!), unique and permanent. In Germany, you receive your tax identification number automatically by post; you will also find it on your income tax assessment notice and on your employer's income tax statement.

Yes, but if you authorise us to do so once, we will automatically take care of the annual application for you. Please note, however, that you must then inform us in writing of any changes that may affect eligibility criteria.

The old-age provision allowance can only be applied for retrospectively for a maximum of two years.

If you pay compulsory contributions to the statutory pension insurance scheme or make contributions to the Künstlersozialkasse, you are entitled to your Riester-allowance directly, otherwise indirectly.

The application for assessment is only submittable in certain special cases. These can be changes in your personal data which effect the eligibility requirements (e.g. loss of an entitlement to child benefits). The application must then be submitted within one year; this period begins with the issue of the certificate in accordance with § 92 EStG.

Please note in this context that an application for assessment mustn’t be submitted due to a change of your tax number. An informal written notification is sufficient.

Child benefits do not always end when a child reaches the age of 25. Under certain circumstances, it is possible for child benefit payments to continue beyond the age of 25. We are not automatically informed of your specific case. We must therefore always be informed in writing when child benefit payments cease.

No. The child allowance (Kinderzulage) can only be applied for by one parent for each child and per calendar year.

4% of the previous year's income, up to a maximum of €2,100.00 less the amount of the allowance expected in the current year. Please refer to our calculation scheme.

Yes, if you also have an employment relationship subject to social insurance contributions or pay into the Künstlersozialkasse in the contribution year.

Yes, payments are made as lump sums.

Unfortunately no, as transfer in neither direction is possible.

No, but the protection against attachment under civil law pursuant to §§ 850 ff. ZPO apply.

Due to the legal basis, it is not possible to use the VddB for a residential pension.

Yes, any additional contributions made by 31 December (receipt of account) of the respective contribution year when calculating the retirement allowance (Riester) provided you were not continuously insured throughout.

The VddB survivors' pension also covers the portion of your pension entitlements based on Riester-subsidies. Widows, widowers and orphans are generally entitled to a survivor's pension.

Moving within the EU has no effect. Moving to a country outside the EU results in a detrimental use, i.e. the allowances and tax reductions claimed as part of the Riester-subsidy must be repaid to the ZfA from the start of the pension (or from the time of your delay if this occurs later), which may reduce the amount of your pension.

It is only possible to receive Riester-subsides if you are insured via a theatre or following a period within which you were subject to subsidised compulsory insurance.

A self-employed person who has taken out voluntary insurance with the VddB does not have the status of an ‘employee’, so it is not possible to subsidise their contributions - regardless of whether they are insured with the Künstlersozialkasse. However, you have the option of taking out a Riester contract with a private provider.

The Riester-subsidy can only be taken advantage of if insurance was issued via a theatre or following a period within which you were subject to subsidised compulsory insurance.

A self-employed person who has taken out voluntary insurance with the VddB does not qualify as an ‘employee’, which means that it is not possible to subsidise their contributions - regardless of whether they are insured with the artists' social security fund (Künstlersozialkasse). However, you have the option of taking out a Riester contract with a private provider.

Your annual statement for the completed calendar year is issued in June of the following year. It is not possible to issue this statement beforehand.

Your pension payment notification for the completed calendar year is issued at the end of January of the following year.

The certificate in accordance with Section 92 EStG for the completed calendar year is issued mid-April of the following year. It is not possible to issue this certificate at an earlier date.

Your payment overview for the completed calendar year is issued mid-February of the following year. Only your voluntary payments made in the completed financial year are certified. Basic contributions for continued insurance that you paid by the end of March of the current year whilst being applicable to the previous year will be certified in the payment overview issued for the following year.

The letter detailing the contribution assessment ceiling for the following year is issued in December of the previous year.

The letter contains information about the new maximum monthly contribution for voluntary insurance. It is for information purposes only. There is no automatic change or adjustment to the contribution amount. If contribution payments are to be adjusted for the following year and if a SEPA direct debit mandate has been granted, notification of this change must be provided in writing. You must not notify us if voluntary contributions are to be paid via bank transfer.

Yes. Agreements exist between the VddKO, the VddB and the VBL. If you cannot complete the required waiting period needed to qualify for a pension with one institution, contribution periods from another can be considered. If a waiting period is fulfilled in this manner, you will receive a pension from multiple institutions. This will not affect the total of your pension payments. Periods of insurance in a municipal supplementary pension scheme are recognised unilaterally by the VddB to fulfil the qualifying period for entitlement to benefits in a few special cases.

• Dental prostheses
  prosthetic and implantological treatments, dental crowns and three-surface dental inlays for performing artists; including the associated general dental and surgical services
• Outpatient treatment and spa treatment
  Medical or therapeutic treatments for targeted occupational rehabilitation, medically introduced therapies that are considered reimbursable by private health insurance.
  An allowance is only paid for inpatient treatment in a facility (e.g. sanatorium) or a spa if the desired outcome cannot be achieved by outpatient treatment
• Medical aids
  Contact lenses for performing stage artists, hearing aids and special glasses that are required exclusively for professional purposes.
• Cosmetic surgery for performing stage artists; only applies to necessary treatments required for the continuation of your stage related profession
• Laser eye surgery
  To improve the eyesight of performing stage artists if there is medical evidence of intolerance to contact lenses.

Applications must always be submitted before a medical procedure is carried out, together with a medical certificate* of professional necessity and a cost estimate. The only exceptions to this are applications for a subsidy for dental prostheses, which can be submitted within one year of completion of the treatment or receipt of the subsidy notice from the statutory pension insurance.

*(Medical certificate: for medical or therapeutic treatment, inpatient treatment in a facility, contact lenses, hearing aids and special glasses; cosmetic surgery and laser eye surgery)

The following documents must be submitted:

• Application for a voluntary subsidy for medical treatment
• Medical certificate, if applicable
• Approval or rejection notice from the German Federal Pension Insurance (DRV)**
• Approval or rejection notice from the health insurance company
• Approval or rejection notice from the subsidy office/employer
• If applicable, notice of approval or rejection from other bodies such as private supplementary insurance
• itemized invoices

** (DRV notification: for dentures only required for actors, singers, musical performers and prompters, for other measures for all applicants - please note: the application must be submitted to the DRV before the start/purchase of the measure/aid).

The insured person must be compulsorily insured, voluntarily insured or continue to be insured when the treatment is carried out and must have completed at least 36 months of contributions before the start of the treatment. Non-contributory insured persons do not receive a subsidy.

A subsidy will not be paid if it is clear at the time the application is processed that the insured event will occur or has occurred within two years of the end of the medical treatment or after the aid has been procured, or if the insurance relationship ends or has ended.

For dental prostheses, actors, singers, musical performers and prompters must apply to the DRV; for other measures, this is required for all applicants. Please note that the application must be submitted to the DRV before the start/purchase of the measure/aid.

For dentures, the subsidy is between 35% and 60% of the uncovered remaining costs.

For medical treatment, cosmetic surgery or laser eye surgery, other aids, the subsidy is generally 75% of the uncovered residual costs (for spectacles, the costs of the lenses plus a maximum amount of €50.00 for the frame are generally eligible).

In individual cases and together with previous subsidies, a subsidy should not exceed 10% of the total contributions paid up to the end of the last financial year before the start of the treatment.

If the possibility of receiving a grant, subsidy or similar from other bodies is not exhausted, the subsidy will be reduced by a corresponding amount; this also applies if another body refuses to contribute to the costs because the application was submitted late.

Only an insured person can receive a subsidy; family members etc. are not eligible.

You are entitled to a (pro rata) refund of contributions or a settlement if you have paid contributions for at least 12 months, but not yet for 120 months, for 60 months after 31 December 2000 or for 36 months after 31 December 2017

and

• have been insured on a non-contributory basis in the last 24 months and have definitively given up the stage profession in the institutional sector or
• have become incapacitated for work during non-contributory insurance or
• are no longer compulsorily insured for a further activity with a member because you can no longer reach 120 contribution months by the time you reach the standard retirement age, considering previous contribution periods, 60 contribution months after 31 December 2000 or 36 contribution months after 31 December 2017, or
• are exempt from compulsory insurance with the VddB.

You are entitled to a (full) reimbursement of contributions or a settlement if you have left an insurance scheme subject to compulsory contributions (insurance by a member or continued insurance) due to occupational disability and have completed at least 12 contribution months but cannot receive the pension due to occupational disability because the qualifying period of 36 contribution months required for this has not been fulfilled.

The special regulation for dancers' severance pay applies to performing dancers, including solo, group and musical dancers. To distinguish dancers from other stage professionals (in particular, e.g. musical performers), their stage activities must be essentially and permanently characterized by dance performances, i.e. dance performances must make up the predominate body of an artist’s work in order to be considered. If a dancer switches to another stage profession or performs as a dancer alongside another stage related activity, this regulation do not apply. This is specifically the case if other non-dancing stage activities account for more than 10% of total contributions paid to the Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen (VddB).

You will receive your severance payment if you abandon your occupation as a stage professional (any stage related occupations, not just activity as a dancer) globally, at the latest by time the season in which you reach the age of 44 ends. You must provide credible evidence of retraining, further training or starting a business (transition). In addition, you must have paid contributions for 60 months and must not have claimed any pension benefits (pension due to occupational disability or incapacity to work). You must credibly demonstrate that you will no longer be working as a dancer and that you will not pursue any other artistic activity in the future for which you would have to be insured with the Versorgungsanstalt der deutschen Bühnen.

Note: The Stiftung TANZ - Transition Zentrum Deutschland (www.stiftung-tanz.com) offers dancers support during the transition process. We recommend that you seek information and advice there before applying for dancer’s severance pay.

Transitional regulation

Dance group members who were already compulsorily insured before 2011 can still claim severance pay under the former special regulation if they have abandoned their stage profession within the scope of our guidelines by the end of the season in which they reach the age of 40, but no later than August 31, 2016. The application for severance payment must be submitted by the age of 42.

Your dancer's severance payment is intended to facilitate your professional reorientation (transition) and is only paid if you can credibly demonstrate that you are retraining, undergoing further training or starting a business.

Retraining, further training and starting a business are all possible worldwide, provided that the applicable principles are taken into account and corresponding evidence (e.g. training contracts, school or university certificates, copies of business registrations, notifications to the tax office or a registration with the chamber of commerce) is submitted.

Definitions:

Retraining: “vocational training or studies with the aim of taking up a new profession”

Further training: “postgraduate studies in the field of dance (e.g. to become a choreographer, choreologist or dance teacher) taken up after the termination of employment subject to compulsory insurance”

Starting a business: “Taking up a self-employed (permitted) activity with the intention of making a profit and sustainability as a trader, freelancer or in so-called ‘primary production’ (agriculture and forestry, gardening, animal husbandry, fishing, etc.)”

The following documents must be submitted to apply for a pension:

• Application for pension
• Birth certificate
• Tax identification number
• Declaration of health insurance for pensioners with proof of parental status for all children (for categorisation in long-term care insurance)
• If applicable, application for recognition of maternity protection periods (before 2015) with the child's birth certificate or proof of recognised maternity protection period (health insurance, pension insurance)

 For more information on care, please refer to information-sheet 30 on our homepage.

• An application for retirement pension will be sent automatically approx. 3 months before the start of your pension. The completed application must then be submitted in good time before the pension is to be claimed (approx. 2-3 months before your pension is drawn).
• An application for a flexible retirement pension must be submitted approx. 3 months before your pension is claimed.
• An application for an occupational or disability pension should be submitted immediately, at the latest at the time of application for a pension from the statutory pension insurance scheme.

Once the necessary application documents have been submitted, we will arrange for a medical examination by a trusted physician.  This examination may be waived if a pension due to full or partial reduction in earning capacity in the event of occupational disability in accordance with § SGB VI has already been recognised by the statutory pension insurance (Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung). 

If the recipient of a disability pension

• has not yet reached the age limit for drawing a flexible old-age pension due to incapacity for work, he or she may not earn more than 525 euros per month.
• If the recipient of an occupational disability pension has not yet reached the age limit from which they can draw a flexible retirement pension, their pension will be reduced if their monthly income exceeds 20 % of the contribution assessment ceiling, whereby earnings of up to 50 % of the contribution assessment ceiling twice a year are not harmful.

Drawing the pension on reaching the standard retirement age depends on the year of birth, as does claiming the flexible retirement pension. See information sheet 30 (1.1 and 1.2).

The corresponding actuarial reduction percentages per month when claiming the early flexible retirement pension can be found in the following table:

Further details on the qualifying associations can be found in information sheet 32.

For those insured before 2012 who were aged 55 at the end of 2011 at the latest and who are liable to pay contributions at the time of claiming, a reduction of 0.3% per month of early retirement benefit applies.

You can apply for the recognition of periods predating 2015 in which you had been subject to compulsory maternity protection. This is only possible if a period of compulsory insurance directly predated the period of compulsory maternity protection. We cannot recognise maternity protection periods that were predated by voluntary continued insurance or insurance without contributions. The application should be submitted immediately, but at the latest together with the pension application. Maternity protection periods after 2015 are automatically reported to the pension fund by the employer.

The following documents must be submitted:

• Application for recognition of maternity protection periods
• Birth certificate of the child/children or suitable proof of the recognised maternity protection period (e.g. insurance history from the statutory pension insurance scheme that includes the maternity protection period, certificate from the health insurance fund or employer)

As a rule, the pension fund will prepare up to three projections per year on request.

You are entitled to a pension if you have been insured for a total of 120 contribution months, 60 contribution months since 2001 or 36 contribution months since 2018.

If the qualifying periods are not met, you may be entitled to a personal contribution pension, lump-sum settlement or contribution reimbursement and settlement.

Pension payments abroad are generally possible. However, any fees incurred will not be paid by the institution.

In principle, the pension/survivors' pension is subject to compulsory health insurance. Your health insurance provider will determine your status as a mandatory insured person. We are bound by this decision.

The increase in the health insurance deductions from the previous half to the full contribution rate of your health insurance fund resulted on 01.01.2004 due to an amendment to § 248 SGB V by the Act on the Modernisation of Statutory Health Insurance.

No. No other income is offset against our survivors' pension. No notification is necessary.

From the month following the month in which the pension recipient died.

If no pension has yet been drawn, from the date of death.

Entitlement to a survivor's pension for the surviving spouse (50%) if the marriage lasted at least one year and was not divorced at the time of death.

Entitlement to a death grant of € 1,200.00 if the costs of the funeral have been incurred - the person who has borne the costs is entitled to the grant

Entitlement to orphan's pension for orphans (half-orphans 25%, full orphans 33%) up to the age of 18, at the latest up to the age of 25 if they are in education.

This is possible in principle. However, any fees incurred will not be covered by the institution and there can be no deviation from our standard scenario (monthly payment).

There can be many reasons why payments have been stopped, e.g. missing life certificate or missing certificate of study, transfer of the pension back by the bank, failure to notify us of a move, etc. Please contact us for clarification.

Yes. As we are not aware of any other payments, we cannot make any further statements about your tax liability. You must clarify this with your local tax office.

The certificates for submission to the tax office for the previous year are always issued at the end of January and then sent out at the beginning of February. An application is not necessary.

EXCEPTION:

If such a certificate is required for a deceased person, it must be requested from us.

• Marital status (marriage/remarriage, divorce, death, ...)
• Changes to master data (change of address, telephone number, guardianship, ...)
• Bank details
• End of education/cancellation of orphan's benefit

When you are notified of the death, you will receive a letter of condolence with the necessary documents/applications and further information on which documents are required.

• The applications
• Marriage certificate
• Death certificate
• Tax ID of the respective surviving dependant
• KVDR form completed in full
• For those born after 1940 - a proof of children (proof by birth certificate) or the indication ‘childless’

For orphans additionally:

• Proof of education
• Birth certificate
• For those over 23 years of age, information on parental status

Yes, but only if this is within the meaning of the Act on the Promotion of a Voluntary Social Year.

Only if it is necessary or a prerequisite for the training programme.

If the transition period of 4 months between two periods of training is not exceeded and the maximum age has not been reached, this has no effect on the entitlement.

The pension is always paid non-cash (bank details are mandatory) in advance.

We process our payments earlier in December when compared to other months. As we pay in advance, your January pension could be credited to your account between 18 and 27 December.