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EXPLAINED: How to dispose of your Christmas tree in Germany

Once you can't hear the bells jingling, and the beautiful Christmas tree in your living room becomes a dry, dead hazard, it's time to dispose of it correctly. Here's how to do it in Germany.

Published: 27 December 2023 11:07 CET
Updated: 6 January 2024 11:05 CET
EXPLAINED: How to dispose of your Christmas tree in Germany
The annual Christmas tree stands in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)

Christmas trees can have a relatively short “life” span in Germany. Traditionally, they are decorated just on Christmas Eve (though this has been changing, and many families now decorate their trees well in advance) and are often disposed of by January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany, which celebrates the end of the Christmas season.

If you bought a real Christmas tree, it’s now time to start thinking about how to dispose of it properly. 

Collection days

Many cities in Germany have designated days for you to simply leave your tree out to be collected – often just on the sidewalk. Depending on the city though, these dates might vary depending on your district.

In Berlin, for example, each district has at least two collection dates, with one in the second week of January and one in the third. Larger districts even have different days depending on neighbourhood.

After collection, these trees are shredded using special machines and then used in biomass power plants to generate energy. In Berlin alone, city services collect 350,000 trees a year – and the energy produced from them can heat around 500 homes for a full year.

Cities that organise collection on the street include Berlin, Potsdam, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Frankfurt, among others. 

To find out if municipal workers will collect the trees disposed of on sidewalks where you live; you can search for Weihnachtsbaumabholung + the name of your village, town, or city.

In all cases, people must remove all decorations (tinsel, candles, etc) beforehand. It’s typically better to leave your tree out the night before, or be sure that if you’re up early on the day, to have your tree out by 6:00 am at the latest.

Collection points

Not every town or city will necessarily have dedicated pick-up. But many, if not most, will have designated drop-off points where you can leave your Christmas tree. This is especially likely to be the case the smaller your city, town, or village is.

To find out where your community’s collection point might be, google Weihnachtsbaumsammelstelle, Weihnachtsbaumabgabestelle or Weihnachtsbaumablagestelle + the name of your town to check if there are collection points and where.

Collection points are available around Munich, Leipzig, Cologne, Dresden, Stuttgart, and many more.

Again, make sure you’ve removed all tinsel, decorations, and the like before dropping your tree off.

Other disposal ‘methods’

For those who have gardens at home, the Christmas tree branches can be used to cover perennial plants and sprouting bulbs from frost. They can also be used as household compost, but the pieces should be 15 cm long at home, and only about as thick as a finger.

One place authorities ask you not to leave your tree is in a public park.

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EXPLAINED: Do I have to declare income from foreign sources on my German tax return?

If you're a resident in Germany, you will typically have to declare and pay tax on your worldwide income. But there may be some exceptions in certain cases.

Published: 3 May 2024 11:11 CEST
EXPLAINED: Do I have to declare income from foreign sources on my German tax return?

If you’re filling in a German tax return, you are generally legally required to declare and pay tax on all income you earn – wherever in the world you earn it. This is true even if you keep the money abroad.

In most cases, your worldwide income is subject to what’s called “unlimited tax liability” – which means that there’s no exemptions or discounts on your taxes for money earned abroad – whether its from work or capital gains like the sale of stocks. This is generally even true if Germany doesn’t have a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) with the other country in question.

If, however, Germany does have a DTA – some of your tax might end up getting limited in Germany. This is generally providing that you’ve paid it in the other country.

For example, the US may apply a withholding tax to payments made to you for freelance services you provide in the US, for example. In this case, the DTA between Germany and the US would allow you to submit documentation proving that you’ve already paid tax on this payment in the US. That’ll prevent you from having to pay tax again in Germany on the amount that actually gets wired to your account.

READER QUESTION: How can I find a German tax advisor?

Who has a double taxation treaty with Germany?

Germany has concluded double taxation agreements with numerous – but not all – countries and territories. You can check out the German government’s dropdown menu here to see which countries are on the list.

German residents earning money in other EU countries should still check this list, as certain tax provisions may be unique to the two countries in question.

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about paying taxes in Germany

What about rental income?

As a general rule, rental income is taxed in the country where the property is located, meaning you don’t have to declare or pay it in Germany. There are some notable exceptions – for example if the property is located in Spain. In this case, you would report this income in Germany.

What about inheritance?

Some double taxation agreements have clauses that specifically govern what tax rules there are around inheritance that a German resident might get from abroad.

In general, the inheritor will still have to pay inheritance tax in Germany, but could see their tax liability reduced if tax already has to be paid abroad.

There are also other exceptions possible, such as if a child receives a property in their parent’s will and then proceeds to live in it for at least 10 years after they acquire it. In this case, they may not need to pay any tax on it.

In certain complicated cases – or if you have any doubt – it may be a good idea to seek out the services of a professional tax advisor who can make sure you don’t get in trouble with the Finanzamt (tax office). 

READ ALSO: Do foreigners owe tax in Germany on money that is inherited from overseas?

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