Financial Advisor Berlin

XpatGermany works with expats across Germany fully remotely via video call. You don't need to be in Berlin, or even in Germany, for our first conversation. All client communication, document review, and advice is handled digitally. If you prefer in-person meetings, that can also be arranged for Berlin-based clients.

Yes. German residents can open a Depot at most online platforms with a German address and a Steueridentifikationsnummer. We help you evaluate the options for your situation and set up your Freistellungsauftrag to use your annual 1.000 € tax-free allowance on investment gains.

Yes. XpatGermany works entirely in English. All strategy calls, documents, and written summaries are provided in English. We specifically serve expats who haven't yet mastered the bureaucratic German required to navigate financial institutions independently.

If you've contributed to the gesetzliche Rentenversicherung for fewer than 5 years, you can apply for a full refund of your contributions when you leave. If you've contributed for more than 5 years, you retain the right to a German pension at retirement age proportional to your contribution years, even from abroad.

Combined employment and freelance income is common in Berlin, especially in tech and creative industries. Your freelance income is taxed alongside employment income, and filing a Steuererklärung becomes mandatory. There are also social contribution implications depending on your freelance income level. We map out the full picture before you start.

Once you register in Berlin and become a German tax resident, your worldwide income is taxable in Germany, regardless of where your employer is based. If your employer is abroad, you may need to manage your own tax payments via Einkommensteuervorauszahlung (advance tax payments), since no German employer is withholding Lohnsteuer on your behalf. A financial consultant in Berlin sets up the correct structure and ensures your quarterly payments match your actual liability.

The first step is your insurance. If your income is above a certain threshold, public health insurance may not be the most cost-effective option. Private health insurance often costs less while offering equal or better coverage, and many expats never check whether they qualify for the switch. The second step is a tax review: there are legal ways to redirect part of your annual income tax into investments held in your name. Whether you work in tech, engineering, finance, or as a freelancer, this mechanism applies and the amounts are significant. The third step is an automated investment plan: an ETF Sparplan set up to run from payday, so savings happen before the money reaches your current account. A financial consultant in Berlin walks you through all three in a free strategy call.

Yes, and this is one of the most common misconceptions among employed expats in Berlin. The tax-deductible investment mechanism that converts income tax into personal equity is available to all German residents, regardless of employment status. For someone in full-time employment in the 42% tax bracket, it is often more impactful than for the self-employed, because the income is higher and more consistent. A financial consultant models the specific numbers for your salary level and shows you what turning part of your income tax into equity would actually produce over time.

Ideally in your first few months in Berlin, before you've made financial product choices you'll find harder to change later (particularly health insurance). That said, it's never too late: expats who have been in Berlin for several years often benefit significantly from a financial review, particularly if they've never filed a tax return or started investing.

German financial planning assumes a continuous working life in Germany building up a state pension, employer pension, and German savings products. Expats typically have shorter German time horizons, varied income situations and financial needs, and portability requirements, meaning the standard German approach doesn't fit. Expat financial planning in Berlin adapts German products to an international career trajectory.

A tax advisor handles compliance and optimization of your German tax position. A financial planner takes a broader view, connecting tax, investment, insurance, and pension into a coherent strategy. The two roles complement each other. For expats with complex situations, both are worth having. For simpler situations, an expat financial advisor who covers both angles is often the most practical starting point.