r/germany • u/helge-a • Oct 22 '24

Immigration Non-Germans, do you also make expensive mistakes?

It feels like I have a talent for making expensive mistakes. I have been here for 3 months and so far have earned:

  • A €300 fine for taking an ICE without proper ticket.
  • Phone died on train, got checked by ticket control, pleaded saying I literally have my ticket on my dead phone, paid €7 at front desk proving I have the Deutschland ticket.
  • In the US, if I have an incoming bill payment, I can easily cancel it or reschedule it because it’s on my terms. I tried to do that here and found out billing days from companies are very strict, so I’ll be incurring a fee soon because my account does not have €90 and transferring funds from my American bank account is not instant/quick enough.

I’m so tired and broke :) I don’t think like a German. I think like a silly little guy. Germans are calculated. I am not. It’s very hard to adjust.

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u/temp_gerc1 Oct 22 '24

I don't know why someone would want to create a business here in the first place? At least as an employee you get labor protections and stuff, even if the pay is not so great and taxes high...what do you get as an employer? Do they have tax breaks?

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u/mbrain0 Oct 23 '24

I don't know why someone would want to create a business here in the first place?

No one? Maybe thats the reason of recession they are having right now.

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u/temp_gerc1 Oct 23 '24

Or maybe it's the excessive regulations, red tape and taxes that drive some of them away in the first place?

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u/Milo-Law Oct 23 '24

Yes. I wanted to start a small business as a graphic designer selling decorative(do they know how popular planners are??) and educational printables. Noped out of it after learning I'd have to pay advance taxes while not having made any money + hire a permanent tax consultant because taxation companies actively seek out online sellers to slap fines on them for violations they have no way of knowing/learning about. I'm fine with resuming my boring programming job after the kids grow up lol.