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READER QUESTIONS

Reader question: Do I have to pay Germany’s Rundfunkbeitrag?

Germany's monthly TV licence fee of €18.36 can be a burdensome expense, especially in the current climate. But there are some circumstances in which you don’t have to pay. 

A remittance slip for German broadcasting fees
A remittance slip for German broadcasting fees. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Nicolas Armer

Many people who first move to Germany and see the letter from the German broadcasting service assume it doesn’t apply to them if they don’t have a TV or radio in their home. 

However, in Germany, every household is obliged to pay broadcasting fees, regardless of whether there is a radio, television, or computer in the home or not. 

The fee amounts to €18.36 per month and can be paid by direct debit or by quarterly invoice. But watch out if you pay by quarterly invoice: recent changes mean that you will only receive one letter per year reminding you when the payments are to be made (February 15th, May 15th, August 15th, and November 15th) and late payments are met with an initial €8 fine.

READ ALSO: People in Germany face higher TV tax payments

The number of people living in the household is also irrelevant and a flat fee is charged per home, meaning those who live alone can be hit particularly hard by the monthly bill. 

However, if you’re running a business, the monthly charge depends on how many employees are working in a particular office, starting at €6,12 per month for 0-8 employees. The full scale can be found in this document.

The fee is justified on the basis that the government wants to provide “a diversity of high-quality programmes on television, on the radio, online and in media libraries” without having to rely on commercial networks and advertising. 

But what if I can’t afford to pay?

With high inflation and the cost of living on the rise in Germany at the moment, it’s understandable that many people will be wondering if they can avoid having to pay over €200 a year for a service they may not use.

The good news is that there are certain cases where you can be exempted from the obligation or be entitled to a reduction.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to pay Germany’s TV tax, or (legally) avoid it

Recipients of government welfare benefits – including unemployment benefits, disability benefits or old age pensions – are exempted from the payment. 

For married couples and registered partnerships, the following applies: if one of the partners is exempt from the broadcasting fee, the other does not have to pay either.

Those who are vision or hearing impaired can apply to the Beitraggservice to have the fee reduced or removed completely. 

In most cases, students and people completing apprenticeships (Ausbildung or Lehrzeit) will not have to pay, provided they receive student support funding from the state (known as the BAföG). 

If a resident in a shared apartment is exempt from the fee because he or she receives BAfög, however, another non-exempt roommate will have to pay the broadcasting fee.

If you are entitled to an exemption from the obligation to pay the broadcasting fee or a reduction of the broadcasting fee, you can fill out this form on the website of the contribution service.

However, if none of these categories applies to you, don’t simply not pay because you can’t afford it.  This will just lead to a piling up of debt and in the absolute worst case, could even result in jail time. 

Useful vocabulary:

Broadcasting service = (das) Rundfunk

Contribution = (der) Beitrag

Fee = (die) Gebühr

Warning = (die) Mahnung

We’re aiming to help our readers improve their German by translating vocabulary from some of our news stories. Did you find this article useful? Let us know.

Member comments

  1. This was super helpful! I recently moved to Germany and I was about to take the letter in to work to ask a German co-worker if this was something I needed to worry about. Your timing is impeccable :). Thank you for all of the high-quality and relevant articles! They are always much appreciated.

  2. We don’t have to pay it because we are in NATO/US military stationed here. That was an option on the form to avoid paying it.

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READER QUESTIONS

How much should tourists really tip in Germany?

Some suggest that tourists from the US have pushed their tipping culture on metropolitan cities in Germany. Others say foreign nationals in Germany don’t tip enough. Here's what you need to know.

How much should tourists really tip in Germany?

As a visitor in Germany, or a newcomer to the country, knowing a couple key things helps to ensure a smooth transaction.

Initiating the payment process

The first is knowing how to ask for the bill: Wir möchten zahlen bitte (We’d like to pay please), is a tested and true simple option.

Then you just have to be able to navigate a couple likely follow-up questions: Mit karte oder bar? (With card or cash?) And, Zusammen oder getrennt? (All together or separate?)

In casual establishments, oftentimes when you wish to pay by card, the server will ask you to follow them to the cash register to complete the transaction.

Since paying at the register is not uncommon, it’s also common enough to simply get up and walk to the register when you’re ready to pay – especially if you’re short on time.

How to tip like a German

The second thing that’s good to know is how to tip in Germany.

American tourists, coming from the land of mandatory tip-culture, are prone to falling into one of two classic errors. The first is reflexively tipping 20 percent or more, even at places where tips tend to be much more modest. The second would be to think “Nobody tips in Europe,” much to the dismay of every server they come across in Germany.

The general consensus is that tipping is good practice in Germany, especially at any establishment where you are being waited on.

So not necessarily at a Döner kebab shop or an imbiss (snack shop) where you are picking your food up at a counter and very often taking it to go. But certainly at any restaurant where someone takes your order and brings food or drinks to you.

The Local previously inquired about customary tip rates in Germany with an etiquette expert, and also with a sociologist who conducted research on tipping culture – both of whom confirmed that Germans tend to think a five to 10 percent tip is standard.

Of course bigger tips for excellent service are also encouraged, but there are few cases where Germans would consider tipping 20 percent. 

For smaller transactions, like for a couple drinks at a cafe or a bar, a ‘keep the change’ tip is also normal in Germany.

If you were paying for a couple beers that came to €8.90, for example, you might hand the bartender a €10 bill and say “Stimmt so” to indicate that the change is a tip.

Especially compared to the US, it’s true that the expectation to tip is expressed less in Germany. But many Germans do make tipping a common practice. So making a habit to tip modestly when dining out in the country will help you blend in better with the locals.

READ ALSO: Eight unwritten rules that explain how Germany works

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