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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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MONEY

How German ministers want to protect online ticket purchases

Once a year, consumer rights ministers from Germany's federal and state governments gather for a joint conference. This year, improving online ticket sales and better data protection measures are on the agenda.

How German ministers want to protect online ticket purchases

North Rhine-Westphalia’s consumer protection minister Silke Gorißen (CDU) will present proposals for further consumer protections for online ticket sales at the consumer ministers conference (VMK) on Thursday and Friday. 

Gorißen is pushing to make online ticket sales more transparent and give consumers more rights to back out of purchases if they don’t have enough information. 

Under the proposals, consumers would receive more information before purchasing tickets, such as details on the number of tickets sold by each provider and the prices for different seat categories.

Currently, ticket prices are often only visible during the purchasing process. 

The ministers will also consider whether consumers should be granted a right of withdrawal when buying tickets online. 

READ ALSO: How Germany is making it easier for consumers to cancel contracts

“The process of buying tickets is becoming increasingly complex and confusing, often limited to very narrow time windows,” Gorißen told DPA ahead of the conference. “I expect providers to act more in the interest of consumers. The market power of large ticket portals should not result in unclear and non-transparent sales.”

More data protection online

According to DPA, Gorißen also wants users of telecomms services to be better protected when it comes to their personal data. 

NRW’s consumer minister believes providers of emails, chats, or telecommunications services should be required to put measures in place to detect malware that’s designed to steal personal information from users. This should be done at the EU level, Gorißen said. 

Moreover, Gorißen says there should be more information on online safety made available through a consumer hotline. 

“IT security responsibility should not solely depend on the digital competence of users,” the CDU culture minister explained. “Protection against cyberattacks must become a societal responsibility.”

READ ALSO: The German mobile companies with the best – and worst – coverage

The proposals are set to be voted on by consumer ministers on Friday. 

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