When you thought just had it all under control, the German administration has a way to remind you who is the boss. This reminder takes form of the German TV tax: an innocent “ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio” about the TV & radio broadcasting fees in Germany, otherwise known at the Rundfunkbeitrag.
This contribution is paid by each household in Germany. This is what finances the production & the broadcasting of public channels.
In this post, you will learn how to react to this letter and sort out edge cases.
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 18,36€ 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 2021, it was 8,4 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.
- It doesn’t matter how people live the household, it’s always the same price per household.
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.
- Why you received the letter: 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.
- How they found you: The Beitragsservice is a public institution with access to public resources. When registering 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 below how to proceed.
Apply for exemptions or reductions
Of course, some provisions exist for some categories of people:
- If your vision or your hearing is impaired, you can let the Beitragsservice 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 18,36€ 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. (18,36€ 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 (“Wohnung anmelden”)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 someone already pays it
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: “Mitteilen, dass schon jemand fur die Wohnung zahlt“) 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 leaving Germany for good. 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 (use the option “weil ich dauerhaft ins Ausland ziehe“). If possible, upload the “Abmeldebescheinigung” you received from the Bürgeramt when doing your Abmeldung.
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.
Hello,
I didn’t get my file number(Aketnzeichen) via post
Please help me out what should I have to to do next?
Thanks and regards
Vinu
Hey Vinu. You can send an email via this form to request a new copy.
Hi Bastien,
Having a horrible dilemma now and would greatly appreciate your help. I’m from Singapore and moved to Berlin from January to July, did Anmeldung in March and did Abmeldung in July.
1. Moved into Berlin apartment in January
2. Received a payment reminder for the radio tax in April, registered for radio tax
3. Received a letter with beitragsnummer, did not take a picture of it
4. Threw out 3 and 4 when moving out, after doing Abmeldung
5. FINALLY received a notification that I will pay the radio tax the following day… in August, when I am back in Singapore. I received this notification from my German bank account, which I am unable to put any money in, and had been using just as a means to store my income earned in Germany.
I don’t know how to get out of this radio tax without my beitragsnummer. My flatmate in Berlin still stays there, and wants to pay for it, and has received payment reminders too.
a) If she registered for the tax, does it mean I don’t have to pay anymore?
b) Does the government check if the radio tax is being paid per apartment?
c) If I don’t have the letters anymore, and no longer reside in Berlin, how do I deregister from this service without the Beitragsnummer?
Hey Wenwei. What you suggest with your flatmate is a good solution around this issue. Remember that this should only paid per household. If your flatmate registers to pay the tax, it will paid for everyone who lived (lives) in the household, including you. When she does so, you can split the costs for the time you were living in the flat & transfer her your share. You will then be off the hook. Does that clear things up?
Hello,
I have one question. I have provided them my SEPA when i first received post. Then i have changed my adress two times. Do i need to inform them about it and give them my SEPA again?
Hey Bhavin. If your SEPA details remain the same, you only need to update your address details.
Hello,
Thanks for hosting such a wonderful website for all of us. Just a little update regarding the “How to let them know that somebody else in already paying it in my home”, my other half recently moved to Germany and I was filling the form for her and the correct field/address for this section is
https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/meldedaten/
Mittelilen, dass schon jemand fur die wohnung zahlt
Hope this little correction helps fellow newcomers 🙂
Thanks
Hey Ali. Well spotted, they changed the forms a little bit. Updated thanks!
Hi, I have done my city registration in March . I has been close to 2 months but I’ve not received my Radio tax aktenzeichen number…or I’ve not received any letters from them. Is there any way to register myself without waiting for the letter to arrive or should I wait for it? Please guide
Hey there. You can fill that form in to register yourself. It will ask you about your personal details, then about your home, then about how to pay. Good luck!
Hi,
Thanks for the article. I am very much lost so please help. I am living in Berlin since last 5 years. I came here for study and for my entire study duration (4.5 years) I lived in a student house and I didn’t know about this TV tax with students. I never received any letter before. In September 2022, I moved to WG from student house and Today I have received a letter and it seems they are asking me to register for “Beitragsnummer”. I do not have any Beitragsnummer so far. I didn’t know students are obliged to pay TV tax. Do I need to tell them that I didn’t pay during my studies because I was unaware. Please help!
Thank you
Hey Vinvay. If you were staying in a student dorm before, it is likely that the owner/operator was paying that tax for the dorm. In your place, I would simply follow the normal registration process. See what happens, if they ask you to pay for the past 5 years as well. Don’t tell them about that yet. They will let know if you owe them anything. Good luck!
Hey! One quick question. Is there any way to see if I owe money to the rfd? I mean, with my client number to see my status or something. Besides of receiving the letters i mean.
Hey Andres. This is Germany: off course not. You need to call and ask. 🙁
Hi there, I would like to know the same thing. I have tried calling, but I get this message in German and English saying “Hello your call cannot be completed. Please contact your customer service immediately to receive further information.”
Do you know if this is an issue with The ARD Beitragsservice, or with my mobile network provider (Lidl/Vodaphone). I know the call costs 20c and I have credit in my mobile account, so I’m not sure why my call isn’t going through. Has anyone else encountered this problem?
Hey Jess. Nothing wrong with your phone: their homepage is stating that they experiencing issues with their phone service at the moment. Keep trying and cross fingers! :S
hi i just found all the information you provided very important. really appreciate it. i have a question actually i used to live in a WG with one neighbour and i used split the amount and pay from his Beitragsnummer. But now since 2 months he has moved to new apartment. I thought in that case i would get a letter from them stating that i need to pay as he moved but still i have not received and letter from them. i am worried because i don’t want to pay any extra fine on it. can you please help me ?
Hey Neeti. There is delay in this happening and/or he may not have registered at his new address yet. You can manually register yourself to get your Beitragsnummer and sort it out that way.
Thank you so much will write to them
Hi Bastien.
Thank you so much for writing this article. I have a question regarding that, I would love if you could help me out.
I live in Germany for over four years now and I have never received a letter for it. In my first year, I lived in a WG and I was not in the contract, although I had the anmeldung there.
After one year, I moved to another WG where my friend is the hauptmiete and I have an official untermiete contract. She pays for the radio thing and we share it as nebenkosten. I still received no letter regarding this, even when I updated my anmeldung.
I am afraid that can be something going on in the background and I am unaware. My flatmate says I shouldn’t worry because they would for sure send me many letters if I owe them money.
Is it normal, to never receive it? Do they somehow know I am paying through this household? Do I need to become a hauptmiete in order to receive the first letter?
Thanks in advance.
Hey Isabelle. If you have registered at an address where somebody was already paying for that address, you should not be worried at all. Perfectly normal if it has been taken care for, for you.
Hi, I need to move out from Germany but the“ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio” didn’t take the money from my bank account yet (I need to close it before mouving out) as I choosed the option where they automatically take it. Is there any other way I can pay them ?
Hey Zaineb. Best reach out to them directly to ask about this.
Hi
Firstly your website rocks !!
I moved into a temporary furnished rental and was silly for ignoring the letter so I do not have the Betreigsnumer any more and I have since gone travelling for a long while. I have not paid and want to pay what I owe. Will they give me the information if I call them up so I can paid what I owe ?
Hey Max. I’m glad you found SiB useful. Yes.
Hi, max. I had a similar case. Do you solve it? Can you give an update?
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?
Hello Joseph. I’m sorry to write this after such a long & detailed comment. I have no idea. : ( Worst case scenario: you give them the authorization again? They are not going to charge you twice because of that.
Hi!
I have relocated in the same city, i have paid the bills in the previous appartment and i recieved a letter mentioning that i haven’t paid and have to pay t now. But i can load the transactions not more than 6 months. How to prove them that i have paid?
Thank you
Hey Kumar. If you give them your Beitragsnummer, they should be able to check your payment history. Have you tried that?
how to give them?
they sent me the letter stating the Beitragsnummer.
Use the contact details included in the letter you received about those late payments.
Hi, I have lived in Germany in households where another person pays this tax. I received an letter only once from ARD radio, I didn’t see my registration number on it. I sent filled a form saying someone is already paying for it alone with their contribution number. They didn’t contact me further. I have just move into a new apartment where it’s the first time I have to pay the tax myself, so is it normal that I don’t have a registration number till now ?
Hey Biyanka. Yes, completely normal.
Hi Bastien,
I’ve been living in a student dorm, i have a room with WC and share the kitchen with one student. We live in the same apartment. I have been living here for a year and i have not received this letter, neither did my previous roommate or my previous neighbor (in the same building).
Is it normal that after that much time i haven’t received the letter? How do I know if I have to pay a fine?
Hey Lis. What you describe is something fairly common. To be clear, there is no fine to be paid if they get in touch with you. They will ask you to pay for the time you didn’t pay so far. You get in trouble if you still don’t pay after reeving a notice.
Hi! We are a couple and one of us is already registered to pay but haven’t received confirmation and Beitragsnummer yet. How long does it take? Because one of us received another letter saying that if we don’t answer in 4 weeks they will consider the house for registration and we need the Beitragsnummer to answer.
Hey Gabriela. You got to appreciate that sweet taste of nonsense. There is no rule on when you get confirmation: few days to a few weeks. No need to stress for now, you can reply you are waiting for your Beitragsnummer. You can directly request it too via “customer service”. Maybe it goes faster.
Hi Bastien, great post! Quick question, we arrived 2 months ago to Berlin, and I have registered myself but I would like to know if there is any way to clarify for my wife, by submitting any form, that she doesn’t need to pay because I am the one doing it for our apartment. Is it possible? or she just need to reply with my information only if a new letter arrives? Thanks!
Hey Martin. Glad it could help. Both options are possible actually but it’s probably simpler to wait for the letter to arrive.
Hey Bastien,
Thanks for the all detailed info about Radio tax.
I have 1 question –
I am recently relocated to Germany and moved to an apartment 1 month back. I haven’t received this letter yet. So generally, in how much time do they send this letter?
I am worried because I don’t want to pay a fine for this.
1 more thing, I have confirmed with my landlord. They don’t pay this tax. it’s my responsibility. But I am waiting for this letter.
Hey Jaykumar. There is no rule about this. You should not worry too much, you don’t pay a fine if you don’t receive a letter right away. You will just have to pay for the time since you arrived in Germany.
is there a telefon nr please to ring from outside Germany? the 0180….doesn‘t accept calls from outside Germany.
It doesn’t seem to receive them from inside Germany either! Very frustrating!
Hey Bastien,
Thanks for summing up the situation. I have read all the Q&A.
Could you please help with the information on how to pay by one person and not by others for a single household? We are a couple and recently registered for an apartment. Our address is the same but we both have received the letters from ARD. In short, my question is what is the procedure for paying by one and not two of us? Do we need to write ARD an email or will it be done automatically? Thank you in advance.
Hey Manoj. Have one of you pay for it. You will then get your Beitragsnummer. If the other receives another letter, reply to this letter stating that the other one is already paying, quoting the Beitragsnummer.
Hi,
I was reading this article today and I actually have a question.
My question is that last year when I moved into my current address, the main tenant(the one with a contract with the landlord) told me she pays the tv tax on behalf of me and we sent the letter back to Rundfunkbeitrag, but now she’s saying she is not so sure about how the tv tax is being paid from our address for everyone in the WG.
Is there a way I can check if my tax is being paid or not with Rundfunkbeitrag?
(I have not received any letters from Rundfunkbeitrag since I sent the letter back tho)
I was checking the Rundfunkbeitrag website but was not able to find their contact numbers.
Hope someone can help me with this.
Best,
Yoseob
Hey Yosub. If the main tenant pays already for the WG, she should have a Beitragsnummer. Use that number to check if it’s being paid.
Hey Bastien,
I have made couple of mistakes. Kindly help.
1. I already have a Beitragsnummer which I received after doing address registration.
But by mistake I have registered myself again for the same address in https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/ website.
2. Then I tried to update my bank mandate online using the Beitragsnummer I had and clicked on update address as well. Though in the form I have provided same address as where I live and not a new address.
My question is will they charge me thrice ? One for the original Beitragsnummer , one for re-registering and one for choosing update address as well ?
what to do if this happens ?
Hey Sumit. It’s probably going to be fine because you used the same Beitrasnummer. In doubt, you can also send them an email explaining the situation.
Hi Bastien,
I used to live in a studentwonheim and only a few received the letter. I never received any letter from ARD. Now I moved to another place. I haven’t received any letter till now. What should I do? I am bit afraid if suddenly they sent a huge bill and fine on my name.
Hey Dev. The Studentenwohnheim probably was paying for you all. In case this happens, you simply need to ask for the Beitragsnummer used there.
Hey,My room mate who is registered and pays the ARD fee moved out.Should i just pay to the same account stating the beitragnummer. Is the beitragnummer personal or is it for the apartment?
Hey Kunle. This applies.
I have moved to a city in Germany for temporary accommodation, did the city registration and have got the letter to pay radio tax. An I will be moving to a permanent house in 2 months. Looks like I will have to pay radio tax for 2 months but I exempt it only If I share my house owner Radio tax no. with tax dept. Now the problem is house has told me that he has not got any document from tax department for Radio tax, hence he does not have Radio tax id with him. So just sharing the person’s name with the tax department will be enough for the tax exempt ?
Hey Deepak. If I understood correctly, the main tenant/landlord already pays the TV tax but cannot provide a “Beitragsnummer”. You can’t just share their name to get an exemption.
Hello Bastien,
I have a question. I live in a WG and I have registered myself and I have my Beitragsnummer. One of my roommates went to the website and gave her details with my Beitragsnummer because we thought all of us had to register on that website with my Beitragsnummer.Later, we read that it is not necessary for all to register. What do I do at this point. Will 2 bills be generated with my Beitragnummer? If yes what do I do about it. Please suggest. I tried calling the radio office but no luck.
Thanks in advance
Hey Deeksha. It’s only one bill per household, so there is no foreseeable problem here. If by some chance, they do send another bill to your household, you simply to state that you are already paying.
Hi Bastien,
I was not educated about this when I moved to Germany in 2018 and I don’t remember receiving any such letter, or at least, I don’t have it anymore. I was living with my friends and one of my friend was paying behalf of us. I don’t remember if my number was registered with his. In fact I don’t remember anything I did during that period to take care of this. later in 2019 I moved to my new place and the other guy in the flat is paying for us. I am certainly not registered with his number since I don’t know my own number. I know that I sound very sloppy here 🙁 . I wrote about this issue to ARD Deutschlandradio and provided them with my personal details and requested them to send the number again. However they informed me that they can’t find any number associated with my name! I don’t have the confirmation letter I received(?) from them in the beginning, I cant check my bank transactions from 2018 o look for that number (No money was debited from my account anyways). Now, I am clueless about how to find my number back. Could you suggest any ways? I want to sort this out. I want to know my number and register with the current address and the guy who is paying behalf of us in our flat.
Thanks a lot in advance
Hey Sandeep. Sorry to hear about your troubles. I dont’ really understand your concerns though. In both places, somebody has been paying the TV tax for the household, and you never received letters about this. What’s the issue? It seems to be taken care of.
Hi Bastien, thanks for your reply. My issue is that I don’t have my Beitragsnummer. I am just worried that it’s not taken care of. Also, I wish to move to a new address in near future and I will have to register my number with the new address. So, I am looking for ways to retrieve my Beitragsnummer.
Hey Sandeep. You don’t have a Beitragsnummer in your name per say, since the persons you have been living with have been paying for you. If you are not sure they have been paying, then you need to ask them.
Hi @Bastien, thanks for taking the time of preparing this blog and answer the upcoming questions. I moved into a new apartment in June 2020 but I officially didn’t register my name under the Beitrag number of the person that it was paying in the WG. Do you know if it is possible to register retroactively (I mean if it can have effect from this date in the past) ? I gave her my part in cash but actually, I never inform the ARD. Or if its sort of a deadline for this change
Thank you 🙂
Hey Camila. That’s about the only option you have anyway. If somebody has been paying for your address all this time, it should not be an issue.
Hi,
I have been paying the fee for the last three months. However, I am unable to figure out if there are any free tv channels linked to this service. Can anyone please let me know if this fee includes any free channels and the way in which I can access them? I have been trying to scan for channels through all available options in my tv, however I do not receive any signal. Please let me know if you have any thoughts. Thank you
Hey Vish. Here are all the channels financed by the TV tax.
Hi!
I lived in Berlin for 3 months in 2014/2015 and have not lived in Germany since. I did the Abmeldung (and the deregistration when I moved out). I have recently started hearing about the TV-taxes, and am worried because I do remember getting some sort of letter back in 2014, though I don’t believe I officially “registered for it”.
Is there a way to find out if you owe money for unpaid TV-taxes in Germany? Since I didn’t register with GEZ, I certainly did not de-register, and if I have 6 years of unpaid debts – I’d want to know sooner rather than later. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Hey Hanna. I don’t think that would be possible since they would want to know a reference number (Beitragsnummer) from you, or a reference to the letter your received back then. Do you have that?
Thank you so much for your reply! This article and the comments have been very helpful and I so appreciate you taking the time.
I don’t. I don’t remember at all what was in the letter – I didn’t speak German – and remember that the person who I rented a room from said to not bother about it. I just know that I can’t have answered it to register since I wasn’t at all established in Berlin really – I never had a bank account for example, which I’m assuming I would have had to send to them.
Do you think I should try to get a hold of my schufa score to see if there’s any debts? Or try to contact GEZ to see if there is a number on file for me? I do have a copy of my registration and deregistration from Berlin, as well as my personal identification number.
I am not planning on living in Germany again and guess I don’t have any other reason to worry than having time pass and risk getting a letter to my home country asking for hundreds of thousands of euros in years from now..
Hey Hanna. Just an opinion here, it doesn’t represent advice: you are probably fine and anyway, without any reference, it’s going to be hard to check any of this.
Hi!
Someone else is paying my ARD taxes and I don’t know how to inform this. I have already the information of the person who’s paying for that.
Ahem. Have you read this in the FAQ?
Hey,
I lived in a room (3 room Flat) with a sublease contract from Oct. 2019 – Feb. 2020, and another month in march without contract. I had connected to the Beitragsnummer that the other 2 people in the flat were using and paid the bill. The person originally registered with that Beitragsnummer left the flat at the same time I did and deregistered himself.
However, I got a room myself again in the same house with contract but in a different flat (3 room flat) from April 2020. When I went for city registration, they told me since I will be living in the same house, a new city registration isn’t required. I asked them what would happen of my radiobill but didn’t get a reliable answer. When I shifted to the new flat, I didn’t get a letter from Beitragsservice. However recently, the person in this new flat registered for the radiobill from April and paid the bill until December. I am not clear as to how to go about this.
Should I register anew? Request for a change in address? Is my old Beitragsnummer still there? I am in a dilemma as to what to do !
Should I call the Beitragsservice? Should I email them with my issue?
Any kind of help would be appreciated.
Hey Manzur. If I understand correctly: somebody was paying for the household in both the old and new flat. It was not you. Until now, you just contributed to the costs. If nobody is paying this from Jan, then you could register for that. What’s the confusion?
Hello, I moved to Germany in 16th November 2020, I am living in a dormitory and was registred in the 18th november… I had no idea about the Tv and Radio Tax until a friend asked me if I received any letter, I checked my letter box and I did not find anything. meanwhile I had always problems with delivery then after asking some neighbors I discovered that the address written in the rent contract was missing the number of the building!!! So I guess that was the problem why I did not receive anything. Thus I registred my apartment in th rundfunkbeitrag website last week and I did not receive anything. I am confused I don’t know what I am supposed to do! If anyone could tell me what should I do I would be so grateful.
Hey Dija. Just wait and see for now. It takes some time until they get back to you.
Hey Bastien,
I did my Anmeldung at an Hotel address on 15th September 2020, I got the letter but the owner didn’t want to bother to give me prove that he is paying the radio tax. 2 months later, in November I left Germany.
I wanted to go online and pay for those months I stayed and de-register, but first I needed to register on their website and then have the prove of my Abmelden from the Bürgeramt, and only now I revived the letter from them in my own country.
What do I do now, do I register just to de-register on the Rundfunkbeitrag website?
If I am not yet registered, can’t they just see that someone is paying already on that address?
Also if I register, will I pay for does 2 months or until now? I do have my abmelden letter with the date of 4th of November. Thank you
Hey Hanna. Best case scenario is that you provide a Abmeldungbescheinigung together with the Beitragsnummer from the hostel owner.
Hey Bastien,
I registered in my apartment about 2 weeks ago and I just received this letter from ARD.
I was having some problems with noisy neighbors so I moved to another apartment.
The letter was addressed to me, but I’m now living in a different apartament. What can I do in this case?
Additionaly, both apartments are Airbnb’s so I guess this fee is covered by the hosts, but I don’t know.
Hey Ivan. Ask your guests if they already pay for it for this address (you’d need a Beitragsnummer to prove this to ARD).
Am Nicholas and am new in berlin , i did my anmeldung in december . i really looking for job but thez keep asking me for working permit before i can work. i want someone to help me know more about how i can stay here in berlin and work
Hey Nicholas. Full guide on work visa this way.
Hi,
We live in Berlin in a rented apartment in which the tv tax is taken care by our landlord. We received the letter for the tax payment and we have already shared with them through mail that our landlord pays the tax but still we receive their tax letter with fine. We have wrote them several letters mentioning the same thing but we keep on getting the letter. Pls help what can we do.
Thanks
Hey Neha. Have you sent your landlord’s Beitragsnummer together with your letters?
Hi Bastien, thank you for the very informative post!
Me and my partner are leaving Germany and she was the one responsible for paying the TV Tax. She has already notified them that she’s leaving the country, but I’m wondering if I have to do the same? Since our household payment is under her name, she’s the only one with a Beitragnummer and this is a mandatory field for communicating them about moving abroad.
My concern is that, once she is removed from their database, they’ll want me to pay for the taxes, as I assume I would still be registered under this household.
Do you know how to proceed? Thank you!
Hey Natalia. If you are leaving with your partner at the same time and your residence is not located in Germany anymore, there is little risk of this happening. If anything like this arises, simply send a copy of your Abmeldungbescheinigung again.
Hi Bastien,
I recently moved to Germany and I stayed in an apartment sponsored by my employee. I received these letters at first, but the responsible by the apartment told them that the fee for the apt was already payed. However, I moved to my own place this month(January) and registered for the radio/tv fee, and I just received a letter asking me to pay the fee regarding the 3 months I lived in the apartment from my employee. Is this right? I agree that I have to start paying this fee for the new apartment (it was written in my contract), however, I don’t understand why they are asking me to pay the fee for the 3 months I stayed in a place which the fee was already payed.
Hey Adam. You’d just need to provide the Beitragsnummer of the person already for that first flat. This proves that someone already pays for it.
Hey Bastien,
Does the Beitragsnummer change when you move to a new address?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Hareesh. No.
Hallo Bastien – I had moved into Berlin in August 2019 and had first stayed in a company sponsored hotel for 1 month. Hence my first Anmeldung was in that hotel’s address and I had received an Aktenzeichen letter from ARD then on that address, which I never responded to then thinking it will be auto-rectified in their database when I move to a new house. Although I moved to a new address after a month and did register it, I have never received any letter from ARD on this new address since 1.5 years. When I now try to respond to that Aktenzeichen letter by going to antworten.rundfunkbeitrag.de, it says “Das Aktenzeichen konnte nicht geprüft werden, bitte ergänzen Sie die Eingaben.”. What are my options now? Should I ignore that old Aktenzeichen and wait for a letter to come to my new address?
Thanks!
Hey Rahul. In my opinion, you can probably reach out to them directly to start the process from scratch again, with a new registration.
I have been living in Germany for a while (more than 1 year) in a student residence, but I have never received such letter (or other letters asking me for money…).. What I should do? I do not speak german and i know of this tax for the first time today…
Hey Ana. Ask somebody at the residence if this something is being taken care of by property management. I’d assume so.
Hi Bastien, thank you for this really helpful website – it’s helped me a lot of the years. I moved into my own flat in Feb 2020, registered in May 2020 (due to Corona) and I still haven’t received the letter. I did receive the letter when I first moved here and registered in my WG in 2017 but nothing since. Is this normal? Thanks!
Hey Alice. Were you the one paying in your former WG?
Hi Bastien, no I’ve never paid it my flat mate dealt with all the bills
Is this normal? Yes, it can happen that you don’t appear on the radar right away. You should probably register then.
Hey, I got the ARD letter after I was registered as care off under my friend at Bürgeramt. I then shifted to another place but my city registration was on the older address. I am not aware if I received more letters from ARD after I moved. I have now registered at the new apartment, but have not received any letter from ARD for a couple of months. What should I do? I would like to clear my dues and resolve the issue.
Hey Gaurav. Come clean and get in touch with them directly.
Hi, I have left the country months ago and before visiting this blog I did not know that I have to take extra notice and no one told me. Also, I have made it automatic, so currently, I have been charged for the next coming months! I want to take my money back. How can I do it?
Hey Alireza. I’d suggest sending a copy of your Abmeldung Bescheinigung you got at the Bürgeramt to them directly. Hopefully that would be enough.
Hey Bastien,
Me and my partner registered in the city (Anmeldung) in December and got that letter. Only he’s filled it and send it, because for me to send saying he’s paying, I need the register confirmation with his Beitragsnummer – which will only come after he sends his letter.
This is very confusing.
Should I ignore my letter, as he’s the one paying? Do you know long it takes to receive the confirmation, were waiting since 29th December…
Thank you!
Hey Sara. Considering the current climate and the holidays in between, it’s not surprising that you haven’t receiving anything yet. In my opinion, you can ignore that letter for now, and if you really want to be safe, give them a call or send them an email explaining the situation.
Hey
I moved out of Berlin late 2020 and forgot to deregister my flat.
Now I got the 2021 yearly payment. I stopped the payment through the bank and filled a deregister form for my account. Anyone ever been in this situation ?
Hi there, thank you for the great article. In letters I get, I have “Beitragnummer” under the date, but it is supposed to be “Aktenzeichen” (right?). Now where do I get the “Aktenzeichen” to log in to my account?
Hey Saeedeh. Those are 2 different things. Your Beitragsnummer is your reference number for the tax. Aktenzeichen is just a reference to the letter/communication/case.
Am a UK citizen and have a residence in Germany and I want to know if I need a working permit to be able to work here in berlin ?
Hey there. Have you seen this?
Hey Bastien,
So i have done my anmeldung in August and I received the Radio tax bill now. Should I start paying from November or should I do it from August 2020?
Thanks
Hi, I cannot find 10-digit file reference number for customer service. Where can I find it?
Hey Pooja. On any of the correspondence/letter you might have received already. Do you have any of those at hand?
Hi Bastien, thanks a lot for this page! I hope you can help me a bit further 🙂
When we moved into our first flat here in Germany, we got the letter right after doing the Anmeldung. One year ago we moved to a new flat and registered in the new address in the Rathaus, but we didn’t receive any letter yet. I thought the communication would be done automatically, once you register the new address, but it seems that’s not the case… How does it work? Do you know what should we do to avoid problems?
Thank you in advance 🙂
Hey Sara. No, you need to proactively communicate your new address with them. You can use the contact forms on the website for that.
Hello,
Thanks for the valuable information, actually i would join to this topic to ask about this issu, i’m student i did make an internship in Germany from october 2019 to december 2020 it was excactly 3 months and i did quit the country , of course i forget to inform about leaving the country and this year i return end of september i have found a coktail of letters colored with penalties when they rise the price each time, the problem is i’m living in a pension ‘a small hotel’ and my period of stay is a shor stay they always send the bill after i quit the country and when i asked i have been told that short stay people break free from the tax is that true?
Hey Myriam. If you are not a German resident, you don’t need to pay this.
Hi! I would like to help out friend. Can I pay it on behalf of him mentioning all relevant details in the bank transfer or the payment has to come from his bank account? Thank you!
Hey Edit. The bank account doesn’t need to match no. You can help your friend.
hi ,
i am not receiving any ARD letters ,does that i mean i no need to pay ?
or how to retrieve my ARD number?
Hey Male. All households in Germany have to pay this, as mentioned in the post. If they haven’t reached out to you, you need to register to get a number.
I paid for 4 months for my previous apartment but left it after 2 months. In my current home, this tax is already been taken care of by someone the landlord. How can I apply for the refund of 2 months?
Hey Chhavi. Your guess is as good as mine on this one. Better get in touch with them directly and ask.
Dear All
I am using my apartment as homeoffice and already paying the fee. I have now received another letter for my company which is registered at the same address and ARD asks me to pay another fee (17,50 EUR/month) Is there any way we can withdraw this since i am already paying that broadcasting fee for this adress.
Hey Bülent. This should be paid only once per household so they clearly made a mistake here. Simply reply to this by sending in your Beitragsnummer, stating that you are already paying for this address.
I hate this. I never watch TV, in my country too. I think TV is stupid and brainwashing people. I don’t wanna support it. I’m against it. It’s ridiculous. It pisses me off more than anything else atm.
Hey Bastian, Thanks for the useful info. I have a question though. If I live in a one room apartment – which is the case for the whole building – is it possible to join a neighbor’s Beitragsnummer (of course with their consent) and split the pay?
Thanks
Hey there. Good question. I don’t think that trick would work because each apartment would be considered a separate household.
Hey Bastien.
I recieved the letter and i dont know how to do transfer because they ask for the beitragsnummer, wich is not appearing in my ARD letter. Instead, they printed out tge Aktenzeichen. Should i do the transfer with the Aktenzeichen number instead?
Hey Andres. If you have your Beitragsnummer somewhere anymore, you should request it again. The Aktenzeichen nummer is not relevant in this case.