When you thought just had it all under control, the German administration has a way to remind you who is the boss. This reminder might take the form of an innocent “ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio” letter letting you know about the TV & radio broadcasting fees in Germany, otherwise known at the Rundfunkbeitrag.
This is no less than a German TV tax that each household ought to pay in order to finance the production and the broadcasting of public channels.
Put your anti-bore suit on and learn here why it’s important to take care of this and fast.
What is this Rundfunkbeitrag exactly
The Rundfunkbeitrag can be defined as the broadcasting fee or TV/radio tax in Germany. Each household in Germany ought to pay this fee, set at 17,50€ per month. It roughly translates to “global broadcasting contribution”.
This contribution supports public TV & radio channels so they can produce independent & quality content, free of any governmental or other private influence. In 2020, it was 8,1 billions euros that were raised thanks to this system.
Early versions of the broadcasting fee can be traced as far as 1924, and it has evolved over the years. Its mission has stayed the same even if technology & devices have advanced.
Why and how did you receive this Rundfunkbeitrag letter?
This German TV tax has been issued by the government in 2013 to replace an older rule that stated that only owners of radio and TV sets should pay any kind of fees. This older rule was hard to apply since it was practically very difficult to check whether or not it was the case for any given individual. Many people lied and got away with it since agents were not legally allowed to come into your home.
Consumption of public content is also now possible on all devices (tablets, computers and phones) which everybody has nowadays. Thus, every household should pay this fee.
The reason why you received this Rundfunkbeitrag letter is simple: The Beitragsservice is a public institution with access to public resources. When registering yourself at the Bürgeramt with the Anmeldung, it was able to access your data and send you a letter.
Which courses of action can you take?
Pay up
The most obvious decision is submit to what is, after all, an institutionalized TV tax in Germany. A law has been passed and it applies to all German residents, regardless of their nationality. You can register or submit your account details online on the official website. Read there how to do it.
Apply for exemptions or reductions
Of course, if your vision or your hearing is impaired, you can let the Beitraggservice know about it to reduce or avoid altogether the fee. Recipient of social welfare benefits (Arbeitslosengeld II, Sozialgeld or Grundsicherung im Alter) or grants (BAföG, Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe or Ausbildungsgeld) are also exempted. It makes sense: no need to pass public money around. If you are not German-speaking, i’m afraid this doesn’t count. You still have to pay.
If you are not German-speaking, i’m afraid this doesn’t count. You still have to pay.
Prove someone already pays it for you
This case is particularly relevant for people living in shared flats or other communities. The flat fee of 17,50€ apply to one household and not to each person living within it. This means that if your flat mate already pays for it, simply let them know about it and they will leave you alone.
Ignore the letters
Now there are very well documented cases of people simply staying put and hoping the Beitragsservice letters will go away after a while. After initial reminders, their response will gradually increase in severity. Although this can earn you some time to think about it, the Beitragsservice can use legal actions to obtain their money. Eventually, you will receive a letter from your Finanzamt asking you to pay this on their behalf. Even if this happens only after a year or two, you will have to pay hundreds of euros for all the time you didn’t reply. (17,50€ per month remember?). Additional fees will also occur for sending reminders and being late. More info about this in German here.
Take part to a boycott
There are a certain number of people who think it’s quite unfair to pay a TV tax in Germany when they are never watching any of the programs on public channels. This might seem even more absurd when they can’t speak the language. If you agree, you can take part to boycott movements at your own risks. It is by nature illegal. This website is a good place to start.
Beware, it is by nature illegal.
How to pay for TV & Radio broadcasting fee in Germany
- Register your household online: Load this form and fill-in your details. It asks you for basic information such as address & name.
- Communicate your payment preferences: In the same form, you can indicate if you would like them to take the money from your account or if you transfer manually. You can set monthly, quarterly or yearly installments too. Only accounts with IBANs are accepted. (If you haven’t opened a German bank account yet, this might a good place to start.)
- Receive confirmation & keep them updated about your situation: Keep your Beitragsnummer close. It’s your reference number and it will be useful if you move out or change homes.
How to let them know that somebody else in already paying it in my home
In the case you are moving in somewhere, it’s quite likely somebody else is already paying it. In this case, you can let them know about that via this form (Pick option: “weil ich zu einem anderen Beitragszahler ziehe“) and you won’t need to pay anything further. You will need to provide name, first name and “Beitragsnummer” of that person.
How to let them know that you leaving the country and stop paying the German TV tax
This is an issue that is all too often forgotten by foreigners moving back to their country. It won’t be enough to notify the Bürgeramt you are leaving the country. An additional notification to the Beitragsservice will be necessary so they remove you from their databases. It is recommended to do it a bit in advance via their website via this form. If you don’t do that and come back to Germany; they will look for you, they will find you, they will make you pay.
I hope this guide on the TV tax in Germany was useful. Although it is quite frustrating to be obligated to pay this Rundfunkbeitrag, you might as well give public programs a shot. It’s good for your German skills after all. ARTE is my personal favorite.
Bastien
Feel free to ask questions in the comments.
German Radio & TV Tax – FAQ
Yes. All German households have to pay this fee, although some exemptions are applicable depending on your handicap or social situation.
Yes. The inability to speak German does not exempt you from paying the broadcasting fee.
Yes. During your time in Germany, when becoming a resident, you also liable for it. You can apply for exemption if you receive welfare support in the form of BAföG, Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe or Ausbildungsgeld.
You can find your Beitragsnummer subscription confirmation or on the payment reminders you have received. It has a 9-number format.
ARD, ZDF (second TV channel), ARTE, Phoenix, 3sat, KiKA, ONE and all channels belonging to Deutschland Radio.
No.
Hey, thanks for the website! Quick question: I have moved to Berlin this month and received the “ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio” letter with the Antwortbogen. Rather than manually filling out the form they sent me by mail, I decided to go to do it online at antworten.rundfunkbeitrag.de because I assumed it would be faster. I chose the “direct debit” option for payment.
When I clicked to submit my form, a message appeared saying that, if I chose direct debit, I will receive a form to sign by mail with the data I provided in order to “authorize” my direct debit. (At least this is what I could gather from my limited knowledge of German.).
However, I noticed only now that on the mail I received first, the form with information to fill already included a field for informing my bank details and signature to authorize direct debit.
My question is: should I wait for them to send me a new form with the details I have provided to them in order to authorize direct debit or should I fill in all of the details in the form they already sent me?
It seems to me that the form they sent me along with the initial letter is about 90% redundant with what I already filled online (with the exception for the authorization for direct debit, which apparently can’t be done online). So maybe this means I should wait for them to send me another form, which only serves to authorize the direct debit?