Basic suppliers of electricity or gas are no longer allowed to make a price difference between existing and new customers, Netflix will soon be available for 4.99 euros and Paypal will discontinue the return costs service. This and other things await you in the new month.

Banknote exchange program ends

Until November 18, refugees from Ukraine can exchange 10,000 hryvnia of their national currency (about 275 euros) for euros in participating banks free of charge. The corresponding offer of the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Bank and the National Bank of Ukraine will end after this date.

Google is throwing apps out of its store

Google wants to increase security for its users and better protect privacy. However, since many apps are unwilling or unable to implement the necessary innovations, 900,000 applications could be removed from the Google Store by the end of November. Unless the app developers find the time to meet the new standards by making appropriate adjustments.

The basic price for energy suppliers is the same for everyone

From November 1st, basic suppliers of electricity or gas will no longer be allowed to make a price difference between existing and new customers, as the Federal Network Agency informs. In return, basic suppliers are then allowed to align the prices for the replacement supply with the stock market prices, adjust them without notice on the 1st or 15th of a month and thus make them significantly more expensive. Anyone who has not found a new provider because the original supplier went bankrupt, for example, ends up in the replacement ordinance. After three months, however, those affected are admitted to basic care.

Last chance for the tax return

Not everyone is required to file a tax return. Those who are in duty must now really hurry. The deadline is October 31st. Since this is a public holiday in some states, taxpayers can still submit their return on Tuesday, November 1st. This applies to Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. The reason for the extension of the deadline is once again the burden on citizens, offices and tax consultants caused by the Corona crisis. The deadline actually ended on July 31, 2022.

An even longer period applies if a tax consultant or an income tax assistance association helps. The deadline is then August 31, 2023. Anyone who submits their tax return voluntarily must send it to the tax office for 2018 by December 31, 2022 at the latest.

You can read here how it can still work with the submission of the tax return at the last minute.

Virtual general meetings are also possible in principle

Regardless of whether it is a corona pandemic or not: General meetings of companies in the legal forms of AG, KgaA and SE may also be held virtually from the new month. The relevant law stipulates, for example, how shareholders can exercise their rights at virtual general meetings. “Above all, by specifying the powers of the person chairing the meeting, we are creating more legal certainty for companies when holding meetings,” said Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann.

Holidays in November

Not everywhere, but at least in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, citizens can look forward to All Saints’ Day on November 1st. In Saxony, on the other hand, the Day of Repentance and Prayer on the 16th is a public holiday, which is always a Wednesday.

Medical companions for people with disabilities receive sick pay

People with disabilities sometimes need the personal support of an attendant during inpatient treatment. Under certain conditions, they can apply for sickness benefit from the statutory health insurance (GKV) in the future and thus compensate for any loss of earnings, as the “Ärzteblatt” reports. The requirements that must be met for this will be regulated from November onwards by the new guidelines for hospital attendants issued by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). The website of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) bundles information on the new guidelines and offers assistance in certifying the medical necessity of an escort.

Netflix will soon be available for 4.99 euros

The Netflix streaming service will offer a cheaper subscription option from November 3rd. The whole thing should cost 4.99 euros a month, but consumers have to live with advertising and some cutbacks. There will be no download function for the “Basic subscription with advertising”. Consumers also have to do without certain content. For licensing reasons, “a limited number” of films and series will not be available to users of the new package. According to Netflix, the new offer will show an average of four to five minutes of advertising per hour.

You can get RTL’s entire streaming offer with a premium subscription for EUR 4.99 per month.

PayPal discontinues returns service

On November 27th, the payment provider PayPal will discontinue its return costs service for parcels, which will take care of the return shipment. “At Paypal we are constantly updating and developing new offerings for our customers. Sometimes certain services need to be discontinued as part of these larger changes,” the company said.

Soccer World Cup: Public viewing also in the evening

During the soccer World Cup in Qatar from November 20th, noise protection can be relaxed. This makes it possible to publicly broadcast football matches in front of spectators outdoors even in the evening hours. The relaxed noise protection is valid until December 31, 2022. The World Cup ends on December 18.

Costs for vet visits are increasing

Due to the revised version of the veterinary fee schedule, visiting a veterinary practice will become more expensive from November 22nd. By 20 to over 100 percent for a one-off examination of a dog, cat or other animal. For dogs, for example, the costs increase from 13.47 to 23.62 euros.

Reduced online shopping on Single Day, Black Friday and Cyber ??Monday

If you still have some money left despite high inflation, you can bring money to the people on November 11th on Singles Day. There are also all sorts of bargains to be found on the Internet on Black Friday on November 25th. The first Monday after Black Friday is traditionally Cyber ??Monday. This year the finale of the bargain hunt will take place on November 28th. Many online retailers then offer some of their goods at lower prices.

Pippi break at the motorway service area will probably be more expensive

The toilet operator Sanifair would like to increase the fee for the around 400 toilet facilities it operates to one euro from November 18th. So far, customers have paid EUR 0.70. In return, the voucher issued when paying should include the full value of the toilet fee (previously EUR 0.50 voucher for EUR 0.70 usage fee).

Change tax class – deadline is running

Since the beginning of 2020, married couples and life partners have been able to change their tax class several times a year and thus choose the most tax-efficient combination for them – previously this was only possible once a year. However, if you want a certain tax class combination to still apply for the current year, you still have to change it by November 30th at the latest. This means those who have not changed their combination of tax classes in the course of a calendar year, but for whom a different combination would be advantageous.

Change car insurance by November 30th

Car insurance policies usually last for a year. Unlike other insurers, car insurance gives you the option of terminating with just one month’s notice as of November 30, not three months as usual. If you cancel your car insurance now, you can switch to a cheaper insurance on January 1 of the following year. Insurance companies lure new customers with sometimes significantly cheaper policies without having to cut back on insurance cover.

(This article was first published on Monday, October 31, 2022.)