Watchout

Deadline : The deadline to file the 2025 income tax return (Steuererklärung) has passed. If you missed the deadline, you can hire a tax advisor. The deadline with a tax advisor extends to March 1, 2027.

​Best tax software in Germany ->​

​How to save taxes in Germany ->

Phishing : The following phishing attempts have been reported.

• Fake pension refund email from Deutsche Rentenversicherung. Email promises a refund and asks you to confirm bank details via a link. [1]
• Fake Disney+ subscription payment failed email. Email asks you to add a payment method through a link. [1]

Product Recall : The following products have been recalled by the manufacturer.

• Heidemark Landfrische recalled “Meine Metzgerei” turkey schnitzels, sold by ALDI Nord. Sharp plastic pieces may have entered the product during production. [3]

• SB-Convenience recalled Metzgerfrisch Bratwurst sold at Lidl, as it may contain red plastic fragments.

For emergencies:

• BSI Lagezentrum: +49 228 999582 5110
• BaFin Consumer Protection: consumer@bafin.de
• Police: 110.

AI corner

• Learn : The more you work with AI agents, the lazier you become. AI agents can produce tons of lines of code, content, etc. within minutes. If you wish to review their work, it can take you multiple hours to a whole day. Gradually, you get bored of reviewing agents' work and want to build a system where you don't have to review anything anymore. Everyone is finding different ways to solve it. Here is how OpenAI is trying to solve it. Here are some learnings from my journey.
  • I stopped reading the wall of text (the plan). Instead, I ask AI to create a mockup and review that only. It reduced my time from 30 mins to 5 mins.
  • I created the template for every document AI generates. Over time, it made it easier for me to skim.
  • I stopped reviewing the code. Instead,
    • I asked an agent to run another agent at regular intervals to review the code.
    • I created mechanical scripts that check the common issues I found in past code reviews.
    • I made rules that every bug an agent finds during code review must be added to the mechanical script.
    • I asked the agent to record videos and take screenshots to verify if the UI looks like in the mockup. This reduced my back-and-forth on fixing the UI. Now I get an almost perfect UI.
    • I asked the agent to write and run e2e tests until they are green.

There is still a lot of manual testing and output review, which takes time and delays feature shipment. But it has reduced drastically. I can now ship 1-2 features daily from scratch (idea to production). Earlier, a similar feature took me 2 to 3 days.

• Launch : Anthropic launched the Claude Code project. Earlier, you had to split big tasks into smaller ones on your own and manage multiple prompt windows. Not anymore. You can create a project for a goal you wish to achieve. Claude will split it into multiple threads. You keep interacting with a single prompt window.

• Launch : ElevenLabs launched Reception, an AI receptionist that answers business phone calls around the clock. It works in more than 70 languages.

Latest News

• Germany's homeownership rate has fallen to 43.5%. It's the lowest level since 2005, according to a Pestel Institute study. Germany now has the lowest homeownership rate in the EU. The major reasons for this decline.
  • High construction costs (risen 160% since 2000)
  • Higher interest rates
  • Abolition of the Baukindergeld subsidy. [6]
• IG Metall called for nationwide protests in the automotive industry. The protest is planned at more than 200 locations, and over 100,000 participants are expected. IG Metall is demanding investment in German sites and the preservation of the 35-hour working week. It also calls on the government to reduce electricity costs and bureaucracy to protect jobs and secure the future of Germany’s car industry. [2]
• Italy is calling for stronger EU support to secure shipping in the Red Sea after recent escalations around the Bab al-Mandab strait. The mission, launched in 2024 and led by Germany, France, and Italy, is meant to protect cargo ships from attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia. The Houthis recently seized the entire western coast of Yemen and key islands, giving them near-total control over the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint. [3]
• Food recalls in Germany are becoming more frequent, mostly because of germs, viruses, or foreign objects in products. Unfortunately, the recall notices do not always reach consumers. To top it off, many required food inspections are not carried out because of a lack of capacity. The rise in recalls doesn't mean food is less safe, because testing has improved and limits are stricter.[4]
• "United Russia" won the elections to the lower house of the Russian federal parliament with 57.54% support. The figures are based on the first official count, based on 13.88% of the ballots counted.[5]