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Oh that's interesting. I just assumed. Sorry! So who collects the tax?
by quirk 4y ago
Oh that's interesting. I just assumed. Sorry! So who collects the tax?
- nicbou 4y agoThis is an explainer I wrote for immigrants: https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/gez-rundfunkbeitrag https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/gez-rundfunkbeitrag If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Perhaps I need to make improvements to the text. Sometimes you've been around for so long that you forget what confuses people.
- CogitoCogito 4y agoJudging by that link I guess they changed it to everyone pays instead of just those with TVs? When I lived in Berlin twenty years ago, I remember TV tax enforcers would go door to door to try to find people with TVs without paying the tax. The advice I was given by Berliners was basically never to talk to random strangers coming to the door...not surprised they would change the system.
- pantalaimon 4y agoYes they changed it because they now also stream their program on the internet (well, parts of it…) so you don't need a TV anymore to receive it.
- quirk 4y agoTotally fascinating. Thank you!
- uniqueuid 4y agonicbou's link has details on the how, but here's a direct answer to the why: The money is not a tax because it's not the government that collects it, and the government cannot decide how much it should be. Instead, there are institutions that have been granted powers to levy their own fees and self-govern to a large degree. Accountability is established through an oversight board that includes representatives from civic society and other independent review institutions.
- pantalaimon 4y agoThat accountability is more of a joke though. It's a very self-serving system and the people on top are granting themselves more lavish salaries than what the chancellor gets.
- kolp 4y agoWorth adding that it's a compulsory charge for every German household, regardless of whether they watch or listen to the programming, or own a TV. Non-payment leads to collection agency, and ultimately jail.