KSK deadlines and dates for insured members through the year

Page last checked: 2026-09-28

The dates that are fixed for KSK-insured artists every year — set by the Künstlersozialkasse, the tax office and the collecting societies — in calendar order. Every row says who sets the date and gives the source. All fixed dates are also available as a calendar to subscribe to.

Every fixed date in the calendar year

Date	What	Who sets it	Source
31 January	VG Wort: reporting deadline (Meldeschluss) for press, radio, TV, audio recordings and academic publications (Wissenschaft).	VG Wort	VG Wort: Termine und Fristen (dates and deadlines)
5 February	In January the Künstlersozialkasse's contribution notice (Beitragsmitteilung) arrives with the new contribution. It is first due on 5 February.	Künstlersozialkasse	KSK: Jahresmeldung für Versicherte (annual report)
10 March	Income-tax prepayment (Einkommensteuer-Vorauszahlung), in the amount of the prepayment notice.	Tax office (Finanzamt), §37(1) EStG	§37 EStG
31 March (VG Wort, METIS)	VG Wort: reporting deadline for all METIS reporting procedures — texts on the internet and e-books — at VG Wort for the first time in 2027.	VG Wort	VG Wort: Online-Texte und E-Books (METIS)
31 March (VG Bild-Kunst)	Reporting deadline of VG Bild-Kunst from 2026 (at VG Bild-Kunst previously 30 June). Reports to VG Bild-Kunst cover the preceding calendar year, and VG Bild-Kunst calls the date a cut-off (Ausschlussfrist).	VG Bild-Kunst	VG Bild-Kunst: Neuer Meldeschluss (new reporting deadline)
10 June	Income-tax prepayment (Einkommensteuer-Vorauszahlung), in the amount of the prepayment notice.	Tax office (Finanzamt), §37(1) EStG	§37 EStG
September	The Künstlersozialkasse's reporting form (Meldebogen) and authentication code (Authentifizierungscode) arrive by post, for the following year. In 2026 the sample-audit letter, „Meldung des tatsächlichen Arbeitseinkommens für Vorjahre“, came in the same month.	Künstlersozialkasse	KSK: Jahresmeldung für Versicherte (annual report); audit letter (PDF)
10 September	Income-tax prepayment (Einkommensteuer-Vorauszahlung), in the amount of the prepayment notice.	Tax office (Finanzamt), §37(1) EStG	§37 EStG
1 December	Report the income estimate (Einkommensschätzung) for the following calendar year — even if nothing has changed.	Künstlersozialkasse, §12(1) sentence 1 KSVG	§12 KSVG
1 December	If you are in the sample: reply to the audit letter, within four weeks of receiving it, by 1 December at the latest.	Künstlersozialkasse, §13 KSVG	Bundesportal: Prüfung der Meldungen von Versicherten (audit of insured members’ reports)
10 December	Income-tax prepayment (Einkommensteuer-Vorauszahlung), in the amount of the prepayment notice.	Tax office (Finanzamt), §37(1) EStG	§37 EStG

Dates without a fixed day

GEMA: According to GEMA, it needs the setlist no later than 6 weeks after the performance. In principle, the organiser must submit it; they can delegate the task to the musicians. More under The GEMA setlist.
GVL: GVL publishes reporting deadlines for particular distributions. Its site names no general date for all contributions — what counts is what GVL states for the distribution in question.

When VG Wort's reporting deadlines fall, including the METIS transition rule, is set out in Collecting societies' reporting deadlines. The four income-tax prepayment dates and what §37 EStG says about them are explained in Income-tax prepayment: the four dates.

31 March is not the KSK deadline

31 March is not the Künstlersozialkasse's date for insured members. It is in the calendar because of VG Wort (METIS) and VG Bild-Kunst. The income estimate (Einkommensschätzung) is due by 1 December, for the following year — as §12(1) sentence 1 KSVG says. Details in KSK income estimate: the deadline is 1 December.

Two obligations can fall on 1 December: the estimate for the coming year and, for anyone in the sample, the actual figures of past years. What the letter asks for is in KSK sample audit: what the letter asks for.

Subscribe to all dates

The fixed dates on this page are available as an iCalendar file, as yearly recurring all-day entries; most carry a reminder seven days before. The entry titles are in German. No account is needed.

Download the KSK dates (ksk-fristen.ics) — import once.
Subscribe to the KSK dates (webcal) — your calendar reloads the file itself.
Only 1 December: single entry for 1 December.

The GEMA setlist and the GVL dates are left out of the file, because they depend on a performance or on a particular distribution and have no fixed day.

Frequently asked questions

What deadlines does the KSK set for insured members?

The Künstlersozialkasse's reporting deadline for insured members is 1 December: by then the projected income from work for the following year is reported (§12(1) sentence 1 KSVG). If you are in the sample audit (Stichprobenprüfung), you reply within four weeks, likewise by 1 December at the latest. The first contribution based on the new estimate is due on 5 February.

Does 31 March also apply to the KSK report – or only to VG Wort and VG Bild-Kunst?

Only to VG Wort (METIS, first in 2027) and VG Bild-Kunst (from 2026). The income estimate (Einkommensschätzung) for the Künstlersozialkasse is due by 1 December (§12(1) sentence 1 KSVG).

Why are the GEMA setlist and GVL not in the calendar file?

Because they have no fixed day in the year: according to GEMA, it needs the setlist no later than 6 weeks after the performance in question, and GVL publishes reporting deadlines for a particular distribution each time.

Can I add the KSK dates to my calendar?

Yes. The file ksk-fristen.ics holds the fixed dates on this page as yearly recurring entries, most with a reminder seven days before. You can download it or subscribe via the webcal link, without an account. The entry titles are in German.

Sources

By the Künstlerfinanzen editorial team. Page last checked: 2026-09-28. The information comes from:

This text reproduces the wording of the statutes and the information published by the Künstlersozialkasse and the collecting societies. It is not legal advice and not tax advice. What applies in your case is answered by the Künstlersozialkasse, the tax office, the collecting society concerned or an adviser of your choice.