You have lived and worked in the USA for some time and now want to move back to Germany and transfer your pension assets. However, you have already saved pension assets in the USA and do not want to let the saved amount lapse.
The most important general information on transferring your pension can be found here.
There has been a social security agreement between the USA and Germany since 1st of December 1979. This applies to all persons who have acquired insurance periods in the German or US pension insurance.
The agreement ensures that insurance periods from Germany and the USA can be added together to fulfil pension entitlements, as long as the minimum insurance period has not been reached.
If you are entitled to a pension in both countries, you will also receive it from both countries separately. This means that in principle there is no "total pension", i.e. the pension entitlements are not paid out together by one country. The pension is paid out by each country itself.
Since 2008, the double taxation agreement between the USA and Germany no longer provides for withholding taxation. From now on, the country of residence is decisive for taxation. This means that your pension payments from the USA are taxable in Germany if you are resident in Germany.
Do you have any questions regarding the transfer of your pension from the USA?
STC will be happy to advise you - simply fill out the form below and contact us.
