{"id":1779292264,"date":"2026-07-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/uncategorized-en-us\/permanent-allowance-application-submit-once-allowance-every-year\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T10:50:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:50:53","slug":"permanent-allowance-application-submit-once-allowance-every-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/permanent-allowance-application-submit-once-allowance-every-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Permanent allowance application: submit once, allowance every year"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"avd-lead\"> With the permanent allowance application you authorize your provider to apply for the allowance automatically every year at the <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/zfa-the-central-allowance-office-for-retirement-assets-explained-simply\/\">ZfA<\/a> Once signed, it runs by itself. Without it you have to remember every year yourself, and that is exactly where millions of euros were left lying with the Riester pension over the years. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"avd-callout tldr\">\n<p><strong>The key points at a glance:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Submit once, valid until revoked<\/li>\n<li>Usually included when you open the securities account<\/li>\n<li>It has to be granted again when you switch provider<\/li>\n<li>Without an application the allowance lapses once the deadline passes<\/li>\n<li>You have to report changes in family and job yourself<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"avd-toc\">\n<p class=\"avd-toc__title\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"\/#was-ist\">What is the permanent allowance application?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#ablauf\">How the process works<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#wechsel\">The gap when switching provider<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#melden\">What you still have to report yourself<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#personas\">Three examples<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"was-ist\">\n<h2>What is the permanent allowance application?<\/h2>\n<p> At its core a power of attorney, nothing more. You allow your provider to apply for the allowance in your name, not just once but for all future years. The provider then reports your contributions to the ZfA each year. The ZfA checks them and transfers the money. <\/p>\n<p> The Riester pension had this power of attorney too, it just was not standard everywhere. Anyone without it had to fill in a form every year. Many forgot. After two years the allowance was gone. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"avd-callout zwischenfazit\">\n<p><strong>Is the application mandatory?<\/strong><br \/>No, but without it you have to act yourself every year. There is no sensible reason to do without it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"ablauf\">\n<h2>How the process works<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>You open the securities account and grant the permanent allowance application in the process, usually a tick box on the application form.<\/li>\n<li>You pay in at least the <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/minimum-own-contribution-e120-a-year-keeps-the-subsidy-alive\/\">minimum own contribution<\/a> during the calendar year.<\/li>\n<li>After the end of the year your provider reports the contributions to the ZfA.<\/li>\n<li>The ZfA cross-checks your data with your pension account and the family benefit office.<\/li>\n<li>The allowance flows into the securities account and is invested like a contribution of your own.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p> Time passes between the contribution year and the credit. Under the procedure so far, the allowance arrives during the following year, sometimes later. So do not expect to see the subsidy for 2027 in the securities account back in December 2027. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"wechsel\">\n<h2>The gap when switching provider<\/h2>\n<p> The permanent allowance application applies to the contract for which you submitted it. It does not automatically move with you when you transfer the balance to another provider. <\/p>\n<p> If you overlook this, you lose the allowance for the year of the switch. The amount is not large. But it is missing permanently, because it also loses all the growth time up to the start of retirement. So put the new application on the same to-do list as the transfer request, ideally with a reminder for the moment the balance arrives at the new provider. <\/p>\n<div class=\"avd-callout\">\n<strong>A practical rule of thumb:<\/strong> A switch always means two signatures. One for the transfer of the balance, one for the new permanent allowance application. <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"melden\">\n<h2>What you still have to report yourself<\/h2>\n<p> The power of attorney covers the application, not your personal circumstances. The ZfA does cross-check with your pension account and the family benefit office and so learns a good deal by itself, but by no means everything that matters for your allowance. So actively report the following to your provider: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The birth of a child or the end of entitlement to child benefit<\/li>\n<li>Marriage, separation, divorce<\/li>\n<li>A move between employment and self-employment<\/li>\n<li>A change of name or a new tax identification number<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The most common cause of a missing allowance is an incorrect or missing tax identification number. Without it the ZfA cannot match you to your record. One wrong digit is enough. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"personas\">\n<h2>Three examples<\/h2>\n<div class=\"avd-persona\">\n<p><strong>Sarah, 31, an employee.<\/strong> Ticked the box when opening the securities account and never thought about it again. The allowance arrives automatically every year. That is how it should work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"avd-persona\">\n<p><strong>Dennis, 38, switches provider in 2031.<\/strong> He instructs the transfer but forgets the new permanent allowance application. For 2031 the allowance fails to arrive. He only noticed in 2033 when looking at his annual statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"avd-persona\">\n<p><strong>The Wagner family; a second child arrives in 2029.<\/strong> Entitlement to child benefit arises automatically, but the allocation of the child allowance does not. One call to the provider is enough; after that \u20ac300 more flows in per year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"avd-faq\" id=\"faq\">\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about the permanent allowance application<\/h2>\n<details>\n<summary>Do I have to apply for the allowance again every year?<\/summary>\n<p>No, provided the permanent allowance application is on file. Without it the allowance lapses once the application deadline passes.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>How far back can I apply?<\/summary>\n<p>Under the procedure so far, two years are possible. After that the allowance is lost for good.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can I revoke the application?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes, at any time with your provider. In practice there is hardly any reason to.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>What happens if the conditions cease to apply later on?<\/summary>\n<p>The ZfA reclaims the allowance. This runs through your provider and reduces your account balance, retroactively and without warning.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Can I see whether the application is on file?<\/summary>\n<p>Yes, it is documented in the contract papers and usually in your online account as well. It is worth a look if an allowance fails to arrive.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details>\n<summary>Does the application also cover the career starter bonus?<\/summary>\n<p>The provider applies for the bonus together with the allowance. So without a permanent allowance application this route is missing too.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"avd-callout zwischenfazit\">\n<p><strong>What should you take away?<\/strong><br \/>One tick when you sign the contract and the subsidy runs. The only moment when you have to act again is a change of provider.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"small muted\">Last updated: July 2026. Sources: BMF, German federal government, Bundestag printed paper 21\/4088, Deutsche Rentenversicherung.<\/p>\n<section class=\"avd-weiter\">\n<h2>Keep calculating and reading<\/h2>\n<p class=\"avd-weiter__rechner\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/altersvorsorgedepot-calculator-extended\/\">Altersvorsorgedepot calculator Plus<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 calculate the subsidy, tax advantage and final balance for your own situation.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"avd-weiter__links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/zfa-the-central-allowance-office-for-retirement-assets-explained-simply\/\">ZfA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/switching-providers-transfer-instead-of-terminating\/\">Switching provider<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/basic-allowance-in-the-altersvorsorgedepot-up-to-e540-per-year-from-the-state\/\">basic allowance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"avd-weiter__lexikon\">All terms at a glance: <a href=\"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/what-is\/altersvorsorgedepot-glossary-all-terms-from-a-to-z\/\">Glossary from A to Z<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"avd-sources\">\n<h2>Official sources and further information<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesfinanzministerium.de\/Content\/DE\/FAQ\/reform-der-privaten-altersvorsorge.html\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Federal Ministry of Finance, FAQ on the reform of private retirement provision<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundesregierung.de\/breg-de\/aktuelles\/reform-private-altersvorsorge-2400072\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">German federal government, private retirement provision reform<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundestag.de\/dokumente\/textarchiv\/2026\/kw13-de-altersvorsorge-1156798\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">German Bundestag, resolution on the Altersvorsorgedepot (calendar week 13\/2026)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dserver.bundestag.de\/btd\/21\/040\/2104088.pdf\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Bundestag printed paper 21\/4088 (PDF)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de\/DRV\/DE\/Ueber-uns-und-Presse\/Presse\/Meldungen\/2026\/260508-bundesrat-reform-private-altersvorsorge.html\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Deutsche Rentenversicherung, reform announcement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.test.de\/Altersvorsorgedepot-4910361-0\/\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Stiftung Warentest, Altersvorsorgedepot<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verbraucherzentrale.de\/wissen\/geld-versicherungen\/altersvorsorge\/neues-altersvorsorgedepot-rentenchance-oder-teure-verkaufsfalle-118178\" rel=\"external nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Verbraucherzentrale, the new Altersvorsorgedepot: opportunity or sales trap?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The permanent allowance application secures the allowance automatically every year. How it works, why it has to be submitted again when you switch provider and what you have to report yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_metasync_otto_title":"","_metasync_otto_description":"","_metasync_otto_keywords":"","_metasync_otto_og_title":"","_metasync_otto_og_description":"","_metasync_otto_twitter_title":"","_metasync_otto_twitter_description":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_aioseo_title":"","_aioseo_description":"","_metasync_seo_title":"","_metasync_seo_desc":"","_metasync_breadcrumb_title":"","_metasync_primary_category":0,"_metasync_primary_product_cat":0,"_metasync_otto_disabled":"","_metasync_hreflang":"","_metasync_plugin_sync_ts":"","_metasync_robots_advanced":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[73],"class_list":["post-1779292264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-what-is","tag-basic-allowance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1779292264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1779292264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1779292264\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1779292264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1779292264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altersvorsorgedepot-anbieter-vergleich.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1779292264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}