One of the most unclear taxes especially for expats is the Rundfunkbeitrag. Every household in Germany should pay a tax of 17,50€ a month for ARD and ZDF (broadcasters) under Runkfunkbeitrag.  Every expat might have noticed that they get a letter, mostly once in three months, with an invoice of 52.50€ for Rundfunkbeitrag. With the letter comes a confusion whether it is mandatory to pay it or not.

Interestingly, most of the expats (especially students) neither have a TV nor a radio. Still, it is mandatory for every household to pay the tax. We have also heard from several users of our platform that they do not get this “letter” for years, but suddenly, they get one invoice with a huge sum. If people deny to pay it, there will be an additional fee for late payment. In the worst cases, one might also get a letter from the government authorities to pay the tax and if not, they could face legal consequences. In some cases, one might not need to pay it, for example, if you are a student receiving BAföG, a pensioner, or if you receive Arbeitslosengeld II, etc.

It has been argued by the broadcasters that the money obtained by collecting this tax is not sufficient to fund the broadcasters, and they might increase the taxes. Previously, it was increased nine years ago and this time it might be approximated to up to an additional 2€/month.

How to pay the tax?

– You can transfer the money online to the account mentioned in the letter along with your “reference number” in the comments.

– Alternatively, you can go to the bank (with your “Überweisungsträger”) and pay there.