Help for Helpers: strong interest among refugee helpers in Berlin
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Strong interest among refugee helpers in Berlin
“Help for Helpers”: Roever Broenner Susat Mazars held a free informational event under this motto on 12 January 2016 together with Willkommensbündnis Steglitz-Zehlendorf, an organization that provides assistance for refugees. The main topic of the evening was providing answers to legal and tax-related questions that the helpers had pertaining to their activities helping refugees. The team for non-profit organisations at Roever Broenner Susat Mazars in Berlin provided an introduction to the topic, answered questions and explained the provisions set by the government. And the level of interest was overwhelming: More than 50 visitors filled the rooms of the German Red Cross Southwest chapter and discussed legal and tax-related aspects for entry, accommodation, guardianship, continued education and providing assistance to the refugees in general with the experts.
When do which taxes apply, what is tax free?
Christin Drüke, an accountant at Roever Broenner Susat Mazars and co-organiser of the event, answered questions about helping refugees together with her team. From what point onwards and to what extent are non-profit organisations subject to corporate tax and sales tax and what are the regulations that the Federal Ministry of Finance has set for this? Participants learned what to bear in mind when organising and providing courses on integration and the German language and where the differences lie for these. The use of uncommitted funds was also a topic. Using the example of a nursing home that wanted to use available resources to help and provide food for refugees, the experts explained which regulations the Federal Ministry of Finance has set for cases like this one and what those mean in practise as well as the effects of doing so in terms of civil law.
About types of donations and in the event of damage
The legal experts in the multidisciplinary team that assists non-profit organisations (NPOs) addressed questions on different types of donations and donation receipts. They explained in detail what needs to be kept in mind from the perspective of the aid organisation as well as those making donations and also how to handle the reimbursement of expenses in the event of a volunteer guardianship for a minor refugee. Another topic was answering questions on labour law that could arise when integrating the refugees into the German job market. The differences between an observation and a trial work relationship as well as aspects of handling insurance claims in the event of an accident or damage while involved with helping refugees were also covered.
“Making a contribution with what we do every day”
“To volunteer, it is essential to be a good person,” Günther Schulze from Willkommensbündnis Steglitz-Zehlendorf said at the start of the event. It is also at least equally important to receive expert knowledge in order for the volunteer work to be successful in practise. Roever Broenner Susat Mazars aims to do its part to help refugees and assist volunteers in their work with its project “Help for Helpers” by “making a contribution with what we do every day”, as Dr. Christoph Regierer, a partner at Roever Broenner Susat Mazars in its Berlin location, emphasised.
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