employment-social-security

Casa Stati Uniti-Germania Lavoro e previdenza sociale

Stati Uniti-Germania

Lavoro e previdenza sociale

Working across the United States and Germany raises two separate questions: where employment income is taxed and which country's social-security system applies. Employment location, employer structure, remote work, assignments and self-employment can change the result.

Panoramica

Tax and social security have to be analyzed separately

A worker can have one answer for income tax and another for social security. The payroll treatment should follow those two analyses rather than drive them.

For income tax, the actual place of work, residence, employer facts and treaty rules are relevant. For social security, the U.S.–German Social Security Agreement determines which country's covered system applies in many cross-border employment and self-employment cases.

Visualizza lo stesso argomento dalla prospettiva tedesca

The German TaxRep page focuses on German wage taxation, payroll, German social-security coverage and the treatment of U.S. employment.

Una prospettiva tedesca aperta

Situazioni Comuni

Start with where the work is actually performed

U.S. employer, employee living in Germany

German workdays, payroll, permanent-establishment risk and social-security coverage must be coordinated.

U.S. employerGermania
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German employer, employee living in the U.S.

U.S. work location, German payroll consequences and continuing German coverage require separate analysis.

German employerStati Uniti
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Temporary assignment from the U.S. to Germany

A temporary assignment can preserve U.S. social-security coverage if the agreement conditions are met.

AssignmentU.S. coverage
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Temporary assignment from Germany to the U.S.

German social-security coverage may continue for a qualifying temporary assignment, supported by the appropriate certificate.

EntsendungGerman coverage
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Remote work from Germany for a U.S. company

Home-office work can affect wage taxation, payroll and employer obligations even where the employer has no German office.

Remote workHome office
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Self-employed person working between both countries

Self-employment tax and German social-security exposure depend on where the activity is carried on and whether a temporary-transfer rule applies.

Self-employedSE tax
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Social Security

Which system applies?

General rule

As a starting point, an employed person is generally covered by the social-security system of the country where the work is performed.

Temporary assignments

The agreement contains exceptions for qualifying temporary assignments, allowing coverage to remain in the sending country in defined cases.

Self-employment

A self-employed person working only in one country is generally assigned to that country's covered system, subject to the agreement's temporary-transfer rules.

Certificate of coverage

A certificate documents which country's covered system applies and can support exemption from contributions in the other country.

D/USA 101 and D/USA 101 A

German authorities use these certificates in relevant Germany–U.S. cases to evidence continuing German coverage or exemption from U.S. contributions.

Health insurance is not identical to FICA

The scope of the bilateral agreement and the domestic German health, long-term-care and other social-insurance rules must be checked carefully.

Guide tecniche

Detailed U.S.–Germany employment and social-security guides

U.S. employer with employee working in Germany

Wage tax, payroll, work location and social-security coordination.

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Working remotely from Germany for a U.S. employer

German workdays, employer obligations and cross-border payroll questions.

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U.S. employee assigned to Germany

Temporary-assignment rules and certificate-of-coverage planning.

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German employee assigned to the United States

Continuing German coverage, D/USA 101 and U.S. contribution relief.

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Self-employment tax under the U.S.–Germany agreement

Which country's social-security system covers cross-border self-employment.

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Certificate of coverage for Germany and the U.S.

Why the certificate matters and which authority issues it.

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German payroll for a U.S. employer

When a foreign employer may face German payroll and registration obligations.

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Employment income under the U.S.–Germany tax treaty

Residence, workdays, employer facts and treaty coordination.

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Consulenza fiscale USA-Germania

Working across the United States and Germany?

We coordinate employment taxation, payroll, social-security coverage and the related U.S. and German reporting obligations.

Discuss your employment situation