Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
Earlier this month, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the TV licence fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) should be increased by 86 cents. It has now been confirmed that everybody’s fees will be adjusted from this month.
A higher monthly fee of 18,36 euros for the TV tax will start to leave people’s bank accounts at the end of August, public broadcasters ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio have confirmed. Licence fee payers in Germany will all be informed about how the change will take place, depending on their chosen payment method.
In a nutshell, those who pay the tax via a SEPA direct debit mandate will have their fees automatically adjusted - you don’t need to do anything. If you don’t have a direct debit set up, you will receive new requests for payment from the end of August that reflect the new contribution amount.
After the state of Saxony-Anhalt blocked an increase to the licence fee in December last year, it fell to the Federal Constitutional Court to force it through. This decision was announced at the beginning of August and applies retrospectively from July 20, 2021. The new, higher licence fee will apply until a new agreement is signed off by all 16 federal states.