What will be more expensive, easier or different in 2021

Every year again: At the turn of the year, many new regulations and laws come into force. For 2021 this means, among other things: the minimum wage will rise, the solos will no longer apply, it will be possible to report an inability to work electronically, fuel will become more expensive, the commuter allowance will increase. Wolfgang Müller, legal expert at Ideal Versicherung, provides the details.

The minimum wage increases
In 2015, the statutory minimum wage was introduced in Germany at a gross amount of EUR 8.50 per hour. Since then it has been increased step by step and is currently 9.35 euros. Now a further incremental increase is to take place. “By July 1, 2022, the minimum wage is to be raised in four stages up to a gross minimum wage of EUR 10.45,” said the legal expert from Ideal Versicherung. The first stage will come into effect on January 1, 2021: The gross minimum wage will rise to EUR 9.50. The second increase to EUR 9.60 gross will follow on July 1, 2021, and the third stage will be increased to EUR 9.82 gross from January 1, 2022.

The solidarity surcharge does not apply to many citizens
In addition, many taxpayers expect further relief in 2021. According to information from the Federal Ministry of Finance, “the exemption limit, up to which no solidarity surcharge is due, will be raised to EUR 16,956 or EUR 33,912 (individual / joint assessment) of the tax payment. As a result, a family with two children up to a gross annual wage of 151,990 euros and single persons up to a gross annual wage of 73,874 euros no longer pay the solidarity surcharge. “

Petrol and diesel prices are increasing
At the end of 2019, the federal and state governments agreed that companies that trade in heating oil, natural gas, gasoline and diesel will in future have to pay a price for the emission of greenhouse gases. This requires the acquisition of so-called pollution rights in the form of certificates. This means that from 2021, 25 euros will be due per ton of CO2. For drivers, this means that they have to expect significantly higher fuel prices.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, the price of petrol and diesel per liter will increase by seven to eight cents. To compensate, however, the EEG surcharge in electricity costs is to be reduced.

Commuters, on the other hand, should pay less
In return, commuters should also pay less. In addition, the federal government is increasing the commuter allowance from 30 cents to 35 cents for the years 2021 to 2023 from the 21st kilometer. For the years 2024 to 2026 the commuter allowance increases to 38 cents from the 21st kilometer. However, the increase in the commuter allowance is limited and only applies until the end of 2026.

Notification of incapacity for work much easier and electronically
Anyone who is sick needs a certificate of incapacity for work to be presented to the employer, also known as the “yellow certificate”. In the current procedure, the doctor gives the sick employee the certificate of incapacity for work, consisting of three “slips of paper”: One copy is for the health insurance company, one for the employer and one for the patient himself.

This laborious paper route is to be gradually replaced by an electronic reporting procedure from 2021. Specifically, this means: In future, the treating doctor will send the certificate of incapacity for work electronically directly to the health insurance company. The employer can then call up the period of incapacity for work online from the health insurance company. In this way, he can see at a glance when the incapacity for work lasts and when, for example, continued pay expires.

From 2022, the retrieval will then be omitted and the health insurance company will also make the data electronically transmitted by the doctor available to the respective employer digitally.

However, for the time being there will also be an analogue certificate of incapacity for work in the digital process. Until the end of 2021, the doctors still have to temporarily issue the patient with the well-known ‘yellow’ certificate on paper for the employer.

Increased material and personnel costs make the ID card more expensive
Anyone over the age of 24 usually has to apply for a new identity card every ten years. This should be significantly more expensive from 2021. The price for issuing a new ID card is to increase from 28.80 euros to 37 euros. Reason for the increase: increased material and personnel costs in the authorities. Furthermore, for greater security of the ID documents, only passport photos should be allowed that are created on site in the passport authority or that are digitally transmitted by the photographer to the passport authority.

Source: Ideal Insurance

Author (s): Insurance magazine

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