Wegweiser Associations & NGOs · Law and taxes for volunteers and non-profit organisers Deutsch

🆘 Advice and contact points

Documented nationwide and official bodies for associations, with no invented addresses.

advice contact points tax office registration court DSEE state data protection authority tax adviser

In brief

This page gives general information and does not replace legal or tax advice.

Fixed bodies are responsible for particular questions: the Amtsgericht (registration court) for the register of associations, the tax office (Finanzamt) for non-profit status and taxes, the state data protection authority for data protection, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund for status determination.

The Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt (DSEE) offers advice on insurance cover, legal questions, and fundraising and grants. Access is via a form; the DSEE then gets in touch.

Step by step

  1. Assign the question to a bodyRegister, tax, data protection, social insurance or funding?
  2. Have documents readyArticles of association, minutes, notices, tax number.
  3. Contact the responsible bodyTax office, registration court, state authority or DSEE.
  4. Use legal advice for liability, termination or disputesA lawyer or tax adviser, in the individual case.

Deadlines

Advice without a quote
DSEE advice starts via an enquiry form; the DSEE gets in touch. It does not prepare quotes, does not review contracts and does not recommend insurers.DSEE, advice page
Watch out – common mistakes
  • The DSEE does not prepare quotes, does not review contracts and does not recommend insurers.
  • Specific addresses and telephone numbers are not given here because they were not checked. Contacts can be found on the website of the respective authority.
  • Guides from insurers and software providers are advertising; cross-check statements there.
  • For disputes about non-profit status, objection deadlines (Einspruchsfristen) in the notice apply. This deadline is stated in the notice itself.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Official responsibilities

Register of associations: Amtsgericht as registration court. Tax recognition of non-profit status: tax office. Data protection in the non-public sector: in principle the state data protection authorities (overview of the 16 authorities at the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information). Status determination: Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund (§ 7a SGB IV). Foundations: the state foundation supervisory authority and the foundation register of the Bundesamt für Justiz (start in 2028 according to the BfJ).

DSEE

The Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt names three advice areas: insurance cover, legal advice, and fundraising and grants. The insurance offering is aimed at non-profit organisations.

Others

Tax advice and legal advice for individual cases. Public state portals on volunteering (for example Engagiert in NRW) give orientation; the offerings differ from state to state.

Who is responsible
  • Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt (DSEE)
  • State data protection authority of the federal state
  • Competent tax office and registration court
Further reading
Overview: association and NGO lawData protection in the association

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Advice and contact points“?
Documented nationwide and official bodies for associations, with no invented addresses.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
Advice without a quote: DSEE advice starts via an enquiry form; the DSEE gets in touch. It does not prepare quotes, does not review contracts and does not recommend insurers. (DSEE, advice page)
What should I do first?
  • Assign the question to a body: Register, tax, data protection, social insurance or funding?
  • Have documents ready: Articles of association, minutes, notices, tax number.
  • Contact the responsible body: Tax office, registration court, state authority or DSEE.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • The DSEE does not prepare quotes, does not review contracts and does not recommend insurers.
  • Specific addresses and telephone numbers are not given here because they were not checked. Contacts can be found on the website of the respective authority.
  • Guides from insurers and software providers are advertising; cross-check statements there.
Evidence
  • Deutsche Stiftung für Engagement und Ehrenamt, "Versicherungsschutz-Beratung", retrieved 20 September 2026
  • BfDI, addresses of the state authorities, bfdi.bund.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • SGB IV § 7a, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.