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Definition of a "teacher"

Author	Comment
Bertie Simnot	Definition of a "teacher"	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1 (Fri, Apr 18, 2008 22:39) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None Hello all, I'm brand new to this forum - I don't know how I've survived without it for so long! I've been teaching English on a freelance basis in Kindergartens for the past year and have subsidised this with the odd piece of translation work. During the empty summer months when others are splashing the cash on well deserved holidays, I pack my bags and head off to "teach" at an English language camp for German teenagers. With my wits now thoroughly petrified thanks to my newly acquired knowledge of this pension problem/farce, I have gone underground until I can find an answer to my question: what is the definition of a "teacher"? Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case may be), I do not average more than 400€ a month from my kindergarten teaching and, from the extremely helpful posts I have read, I gather that earnings from translation work escape the pension problem. If my camp earnings were to be classed as teaching, I may have a problem. I would honestly describe my role at the aforementioned camp as that of an "activity leader" rather than a teacher - would this wash with the Finanzamt? A thousand thankingtons in advance, BS
john		#1	[-]
Posts: 1063 (Sat, Apr 19, 2008 17:28) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Hello Bertie The definition is a bit difficult to understand in German, but if the defintion below is taken as given 'a teacher' is someone who passes on skills, knowledge or experience to someone else. Here's the Deutsche Rentenversicherung's (better known amongst English teachers as the BfA) official definition: 1.1.1 Selbständig tätige Lehrer Unter den gemäß § 2 Satz 1 Nr. I SGB VI versicherungspflichtigen Lehrern sind Personen zu verstehen, die einen der geistigen Entwicklung auf dem Gebiet der Wissenschaften (z. B. Geistes-, Naturwissenschaften oder Sprachen) dienenden Unterricht erteilen. Zu lehrenden Tätigkeiten in diesem Sinne zählt aber auch die Unterweisung in körperlichen Übungen oder in mechanischen Fähigkeiten. Dass die Lehrtätigkeit einem Erziehungszweck dient, ist dagegen nicht erforderlich. Der Lehrbegriff wird also in Übereinstimmung mit der Rechtsprechung des BSG weit ausgelegt und beinhaltet jegliches Übermitteln von Wissen, Können und Fertigkeiten, wobei Art und Umfang der Unterweisung nur von untergeordneter Bedeutung sind. Daher erfüllt sowohl ein Unterricht bzw. eine Unterweisung in Kurs-oder Gruppenform wie auch in Form von Einzelunterricht oder Einzelunterweisung diesen Lehrbegriff. Das gilt selbst dann, wenn die Lehrtätigkeit ganz oder überwiegend nach gewerblichen Grundsätzen ausgeübt wird. Eine bestimmte pädagogische Qualifikation des Lehrenden wird ebenfalls nicht vorausgesetzt. Source: Selbständige in der Rententenversicherung, published by the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, 2006. Last Edited By: john Sat, Apr 19, 2008 19:00. Edited 2 times.
john		#2	[-]
Posts: 1065 (Sun, Apr 20, 2008 17:51) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I would honestly describe my role at the aforementioned camp as that of an "activity leader" rather than a teacher - would this wash with the Finanzamt? Bertie, you don't need to worry about the Finanzamt. The problem is whether an "activity leader" is a teacher or not, and that would have to be decided by the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, or, in the worst case, by a Sozialgericht (Social Court). I'd check to see what your contract says you're employed to do. If it mentions teaching or passing on skills or knowledge - or indicates that this might be what you have been employed to do, then you could have a problem with the DRV (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) - and even if your contract doesn't mention or indicate this, you may still have a problem because if/when the DRV audits the organisation you work for, they could argue that in the months you worked as an "activity leader" you were Scheinselbständig (a psuedo-employee) and that the organisation should have paid social insurance contributions for you. Of course, they (the organisation you've been working for) won't be too happy about that and will probably try to argue that they were not responsible for paying these contributions because you were a freelance teacher and were therefore responsible for making these contributions yourself. Some teachers now call themselves language consultants, but the DRV aren't daft. Consultants don't normally consult their clients from 7:30-9:00 or 15:00-16:30 every Monday or stick in bills for peanuts... The DRV can check the invoices that have been sent and if they consider that the 'consultancy work' someone claims they are doing is suspect/dodgy and smells more like a bill for teaching , they can (and probably will) dig deeper. To be honest, I don't really understand why freelance consultants have managed to escape these compulsory contributions because they are also passing on knowledge, skills and experience, albeit as recommendations. If your contract as "activity leader" doesn't mention teaching or indicate that is what you might be doing - and this work doesn't involve passing on knowledge, skills or experience, but "supervision" (I could certainly be wrong there), you might be in the clear. I think it would be best to get a social insurance lawyer to look into this for you. It may cost a few euros, but could save you a lot more in the long run.
Bertie Simnot		#3	[-]
Posts: 2 (Mon, Apr 28, 2008 17:31) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	You're right, I need some professional help, even if it'll cost a bit. Thanks for your time John.
john		#4	[-]
Posts: 1066 (Mon, Apr 28, 2008 17:49) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Hello Bertie Please make sure you talk to a lawyer who is specialised in social insurance laws. Most lawyers, even those specialised in industrial law/labour law, probably won't know what the score is here and would have to spend a lot of time looking into it. Check out GelbeSeiten for a Sozialversicherungsanwalt in your area or do a search for a social insurance lawyer in your area here. Good luck! Last Edited By: john Mon, Apr 28, 2008 17:54. Edited 1 times.

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