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Working in Görlitz

Working in Görlitz

Public holidays and vacation

In addition to public holidays, you are entitled to a certain number of paid vacation days according to your employment contract (TVöD-Bund). The vacation policy of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) includes additional non-working days (Brückentage). These are non-working days between a public holiday and the weekend which are either taken as vacation or are balanced out by your accrued overtime.

German language classes

CASUS offers German language classes for different proficiency levels.  For further information please contact us or the HR department (Mrs. Ines Göhler).

Libraries

CASUS employees have access to the HZDR library located on the Dresden-Rossendorf research campus. Further information can be found here.

The Saxon State and University Library (SLUB) located in Dresden is another useful resource.

Libraries in Görlitz and Zgorzelec also provide access to multiple collections.

Social security contributions

Germany’s comprehensive and collectively-financed social security system (Sozialversicherungssystem) includes mandatory contributions which are automatically deducted from your monthly paycheck. These contributions are for:

  • health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung)
  • pension insurance (Rentenversicherung). Citizen of non-EU countries may qualify for exemptions;
  • long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung);
  • unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung);
  • occupational accident insurance (Unfallversicherung).

Taxes

As a registered resident of Germany, you must pay taxes. This applies to your whole income, including what you may earn abroad. However, there are bilateral agreements between Germany and other countries to protect taxpayers from double-taxation (Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen). You can find further information about double-taxation agreements on the website of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

As a CASUS employee you will be assigned a tax bracket (Lohnsteuerklasse) based on your salary, marital status, and other criteria. This will determine the amount of income tax to be deducted from your monthly paycheck.

You are eligible and, under certain circumstances, obliged to submit an annual income tax return declaration (Einkommensteuererklärung) to the tax office (Finanzamt). By submitting a tax declaration, you ensure that you have paid the correct amount of tax for the previous fiscal year. The tax return is also a means to balance out your deducted income tax with other financial aspects, such as your spouse’s income, any additional income, tax deductions, expenses for childcare or charitable donations. You can file your tax declaration by yourself, either on paper or online (using ELSTER);you can use online tax services; or you can hire a professional tax advisor.

The German tax year runs from January to December. You may submit your tax declaration any time between January 1 and July 31 the following year. If needed, you can apply for a deadline extension at your local tax office.

Please contact us or HR if you have further questions:

Tax office (Finanzamt) in Görlitz

Sonnenstr. 7, 02826 Görlitz

Telefon: +49 3581 875-0

E-Mail: poststelle@fa-goerlitz.smf.sachsen.de