Source: BUS Sachsen-Anhalt (Linie6PLus)

Apply for certification of pension and basic pension contracts ("Riester" or "Rürup")

Description

The Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) is responsible for the certification of pension contracts ("Riester") and basic pension contracts ("Rürup"). For contributions made to certified contracts, a special expense deduction can be claimed in the income tax return and, in the case of retirement provision contracts, the retirement allowance can be claimed.

Applications for certification can be submitted by providers of old-age provision and basic pension contracts and umbrella associations of the providers mentioned in Section 1 (2) of the Pensions Contracts Certification Act (AltZertG).

You submit your application for certification of the old-age provision or basic pension contract in writing to the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt).
The certification body shall verify that:

the application from a provider in accordance with § 1 paragraph 2 or § 2 paragraph 2 of the Pensions Contracts Certification Act (AltZertG) or
has been submitted to an umbrella organisation of the providers referred to in § 1 (2) and whether:
the sample contracts submitted meet the certification criteria.

Each certifiable contract sample receives a certificate with a certification number. The certification body does not check whether:

the product is economically viable,
the promises made by the provider can be fulfilled and
the terms of the contract are effective under civil law.

Requirements

Applications for certification can be submitted by:

Provider of old-age provision and basic pension contracts in accordance with § 1 (2) and § 2 (2) of the Old-Age Provision Contracts Certification Act (AltZertG)
Umbrella associations of the providers mentioned in § 1 paragraph 2 AltZertG

Which documents are required?

When applying, you must submit:

Application for certification by authorized representatives
Appendix to the application for certification (checklist)
Documents proving that the terms and conditions of the contract can be certified in accordance with Section 1 (3) or Section 2 (3) of the Pensions Contracts Certification Act (AltZertG)
a certificate from the competent supervisory authority on the scope of the licence and, in the case of companies within the meaning of Section 1 (2) sentence 2, also on the scope of supervision and the amount of initial capital (Section 1 (2) sentence 2 numbers 1 and 2 AltZertG); in the case of a provider within the meaning of Section 1 (2) sentence 1 number 4 AltZertG, an extract from the register, the articles of association and the expert opinion of the auditing association pursuant to Section 1 (2) sentence 1 number 4 AltZertG must be attached instead of the certificate

What are the fees?

The cost of processing an application to certify a pension plan or a basic pension contract is EUR 5,000.

If an application is based on a certified application from an umbrella association and the further requirements of Section 12 (1) sentence 2 of the Pensions Contracts Certification Act (AltZertG) are met, the fee is EUR 500.00.

For applications of an umbrella association, which it submits on behalf of its member companies as an authorized representative, the fee per member willing to be certified is EUR 250.00.

For the addition of a loan option to a contract, if the contract has been certified according to the AltZertG in the version valid on 31.12.2007, the fee is EUR 250.00.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Payment of the fee: within one month of notification of the decision (§ 12 paragraph 2 sentence 2 AltZertG)
Supplementary notification: within 3 months (cut-off period) after receipt of the supplementary request by the certification body (§ 4 paragraph 5 AltZertG)

Processing duration

regularly 2 to 3 months

Applications / forms

Objection
Complaint

Appeal

Forms: yes
Online procedure possible: no
Written form required: yes
Personal appearance required: no

Process flow

You must submit the application for certification in writing to the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt).

Call up the certification application that suits your purposes on the BZSt website. Also call up the attachment to the application for certification (checklist).
Fill out the application electronically, print it out and sign it. In the checklist, you enter the data required for processing electronically, and then print the document.
Send the application and all documents by post to the headquarters of the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) in Berlin.
Upon receipt of your application, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) will determine the fee by means of a written notice, which must be paid within one month of notification of the notice.
The Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) will review your application. If your application does not meet the requirements, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) will request missing information, documents or contract adjustments (supplementary notification) within 3 months. If your application does not meet the requirements even after the deadline, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) will reject the application. If your application meets the requirements for certification, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) will issue the certification by assigning a certification number for the sample contract. The Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) will inform you by post about the outcome of the audit.