"AWV-Meldepflicht beachten. Hotline Bundesbank (0800) 1234-111"
So what is this about?
The German Central Bank (Bundesbank) does statistics called "außenwirtschaftliche Statistiken" on how much money flows into/out of Germany: https://www.bundesbank.de/de/statistike ... wirtschaft
And they need your input for this statistic.
That is all it is, unlike some people think, the Bundesbank does not inform the Finanzamt or anybody else, they just need your data to do their nice, colourful statistics.
First off, if this money
- originating from/is being sent to a foreign account that is in your name,
You only need to report money that you get from or that you send to somebody else.
The following do not have to be reported:
- payments up to 12,500€
- payments for the import/export of goods
- payments because of a loan with a duration of up to 12 months
- payments between non-residents accepted and passed on by residents (“transit items”)
Besides, receiving money/sending money for someone else will complicate your tax situation to no end come tax return time.
--> please do not receive/send money for someone else.
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However, the reporting requirement is a bit more extensive than you may think.
Say you buy or sell within one transaction stocks in your UK brokerage account and pay/get a GBP amount for them that according to the ECB exchange rate on that day is more than 12,500€: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_ ... ex.en.html
Since you need to report when you pay/get money from somebody else, in this case from the person/bank/broker you bought/sold your shares from/to, you also need to report this immediately to the Bundesbank, even if this money was never in Germany/will never end up in Germany.
You have to report it just because you a German resident and the Bundesbank needs to put into their statistic, how much money German residents invest/receive abroad.
Of course, if you split the purchase/sale up into two transactions, each of them below 12,500€, you do not have to report them
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The Bundesbank has published a flyer in English named "Reporting made simple": https://www.bundesbank.de/resource/blob ... n-data.pdf
--> the easiest way to report is by e-mail (you can write the e-mail in English, this is their "English" e-mail address): szawstat-private@bundesbank.de
That way you will have proof of what you reported and when you reported it.
There is also a phone hotline (0800 - 1234 111, free, can only be reached from a German landline) at the Bundesbank for reporting.
But good luck proving later on what you said on the phone.
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Summary
Write an e-mail (in English will do) to: szawstat-private@bundesbank.de
in which you state:
- purpose of the payment (e.g. real estate purchase, gift, inheritance, and so on)
- incoming or outgoing payment
- amount of payment in €. Use the ECB exchange rate that had been valid on that date to convert the amount into €: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/policy_ ... ex.en.html
- month of payment
- country of counterparty. In the above example, that country would be the UK.
- if you are reporting a securities transaction, you will additionally be required to provide information from your securities settlement note, in particular the ISIN.
In the case of securities purchases/sales outside Germany and non-resident securities falling due:
• quantity/par value,
• ISIN/securities identification number,
• issuer country,
• amount actually paid
