Job Discussion Forums

[JRCash]

What is the church tax in Germany, I am a lapsed Catholic (more agnostic now, and therefore would be annoyed to have to pay for something I don't use), would I need to pay it?

[Hod]

Germany's no place for those who don't like taxes. Five percent of everyone's tax now goes to reconstruct that godforesaken and getting ever worse old East Germany. Never mind if you never go there, you pay.

Same with Church Tax. You tick some box when you register and that's that. Mind you, the churches are very nice.

[scot47]

You can opt out of paying it. But you have to opt out - not opt in ! Speak to those nice people in the Steueramt.

[dmb]

Showing my ignorance here. When you say church tax. Is this tithe you are talking about? The one that a canny Scotsman slagged off in the Wealth of Nations in the late 18th century?

[poro]

[neil1979]

I recently registered at the Steueramt in Germany and then got a letter asking me to 'clarify' my religious situation. Although I am technically Cathilic I am simply going to put down that I was never baptised (if you tick that box you don't have to specify if you later left the church etcetera)...okay, it's not true but I figure surely they aren't going to start investigating the matter with authorities in the UK for example to find out what your religious situation is...

[Robski]

What I've heard about this is that whatever religion you say you are, that's the faith that gets the money. So, find some religion that doesn't have a church, mosque, synogogue etc and declare that your that one. I think it's the case that they cannot give your money to a religion you're not. For example, the church of the fallen again TEFL teacher might work.

[Insubordination]

Hmmm My brother is an athiest and nobody in the (nuclear) family is religious but he still ticked a box and pays it. I asked him why and he said it was more socially acceptable or something.

[dagi]

Make an appointment with your a priest of your local catholic church. Declare that you are not religious and wish to leave the catholic church. Get the priest to issue a written proof that you have officially left the church and are not a member anymore.
Provide it to the Finanzamt and you will not have to pay anymore. And you're not a catholic anymore but a true atheist.
Most Germans by the way find this step much too drastic e.g. in some areas it is socially not accepted and they rather pay.
Gosh, btw. I can't come up with an appropiate English term. The Germans say "aus der Kirche austreten". Maybe anyone knows?
Anyway, that's the only way to avoid those church taxes.

[neil1979]

'To leave the church' - pretty simple.