The activity code (Tätigkeitsschlüssel) in the KSK annual report

Page last checked: 2026-09-28

What the activity code on the Meldebogen means, why it is already filled in and when the Künstlersozialkasse asks for it to be overwritten — in the KSK's own words.

What the code means

On its annual-report page the Künstlersozialkasse answers the question „Wofür steht der Tätigkeitsschlüssel und wie kann ich ihn ändern?“ (what does the activity code stand for and how can I change it?) like this: „Mit dem Tätigkeitsschlüssel wird der Bereich Ihrer selbständigen künstlerischen oder publizistischen Tätigkeit, aus dem Sie Ihre Haupteinnahmen erzielen, verschlüsselt.“ — the code encodes the area (Bereich) of your self-employed artistic or publicist work from which you earn your main income.

So the code sits next to the one figure the annual report is about — the expected annual work income (voraussichtliches Jahresarbeitseinkommen) for the following year. How the Meldebogen is laid out overall is covered in Filling in the KSK Meldebogen. In its privacy policy, too, the KSK lists the „Tätigkeitsschlüssel“ among the data it collects with the online report.

Pre-filled — and when it is overwritten

The code is already filled in on the report („vorgeblendet“, pre-filled). The KSK writes: „Überschreiben Sie die vorgeblendete Angabe bitte, wenn sich Ihre Tätigkeit geändert hat. Hat sich nichts geändert, ist keine Eingabe erforderlich.“ — please overwrite the pre-filled entry if your activity has changed; if nothing has changed, no entry is needed.

That concerns only the code. The annual report itself is required even when nothing has changed — the KSK calls it „unbedingt erforderlich“ (absolutely necessary), see KSK income estimate: the deadline is 1 December. Access to the online report comes from the code in the September letter, see The KSK authentication code.

The list of codes

The Künstlersozialkasse publishes an overview of the activity codes on its annual-report page (German), grouped by the four areas Wort, Bildende Kunst / Design, Musik and Darstellende Kunst (more on the areas under The four areas of the Künstlersozialkasse).

This page does not reproduce the list and does not match any activity to a code. Which code fits an activity, and whether an activity has changed in the KSK's sense, is an assessment of the individual case. It is answered by the Künstlersozialkasse or an adviser of your choice — not by this page and not by Künstlerfinanzen.

Frequently asked questions

What is the KSK activity code (Tätigkeitsschlüssel)?

According to the Künstlersozialkasse, it encodes the area of your self-employed artistic or publicist work from which you earn your main income. It appears in the annual report.

Does the activity code have to be entered again every year?

No. It is pre-filled on the report, and according to the Künstlersozialkasse: „Hat sich nichts geändert, ist keine Eingabe erforderlich“ — if nothing has changed, no entry is needed. The annual report itself is still due every year by 1 December.

How is the activity changed with the KSK?

On its annual-report page the Künstlersozialkasse writes: „Überschreiben Sie die vorgeblendete Angabe bitte, wenn sich Ihre Tätigkeit geändert hat“ — overwrite the pre-filled entry if your activity has changed. Which code then applies is answered by the Künstlersozialkasse or an adviser.

Where is the list of KSK activity codes?

On the Künstlersozialkasse's annual-report page for insured members, grouped by Wort, Bildende Kunst / Design, Musik and Darstellende Kunst. Künstlerfinanzen does not reproduce the list and does not match any activity to a code.

Sources

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

This text reproduces the information published by the Künstlersozialkasse. It is not legal advice and not tax advice. What applies in your case is answered by the Künstlersozialkasse or an adviser of your choice.