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How you'll be affected by change in Germany's broadcasting fee
How you'll be affected by change in Germany's broadcasting fee

Local Germany

time4 days ago

  • Business
  • Local Germany

How you'll be affected by change in Germany's broadcasting fee

If you typically make your Rundfunkbeitrag payments after getting a reminder in the mail, it's time to mark your calendar - literally. Changes have been made to Germany's broadcasting fee - namely, quarterly payment reminders will no longer be sent in the mail. Commonly referred to as the "radio tax" or "tv tax", the Rundfunkbeitrag (literally broadcasting fee) is a mandatory contribution for Germany's public broadcasting, such as that provided by ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio . Virtually every household in Germany is subject to the tax, whether you have a tv or radio or not. The price of the fee currently amounts to €18.36 per month . What's changing about 'radio tax' payments? A change to the way the broadcasting fee is collected has kicked in this June, according to a press release on the Rundfunkbeitrag website. From now on, customers will no longer receive regular payment reminders in the mail. In place of the quarterly payment reminders that had previously been sent, customers can expect to receive just one final letter that outlines their personal payment schedule for the year. That schedule will remain the same in future years, unless changes are made. In effect, anyone who makes manual payments via bank transfer will need to keep track of their payment deadlines themselves going forward. Advertisement The change will not effect people who have already set-up automatic direct deposit payments for their contributions (beside getting a few less official looking letters in the post). The Rundfunkbeitrag service provider says the change promotes both cost-efficiency and sustainability in managing the fee system. A remittance slip for German broadcasting fees. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Nicolas Armer When do you need to pay? In most cases the broadcasting fee is paid in quarterly instalments - with customers shelling out €55.08 every three months, by the 15th of the month of each quarter. The deadline for your payment depends on when you registered at your address, with the first payment due one month later. So if you registered at your address in January, your first payment due date would be February 15th - to be followed by further payments on May 15th, August 15th, and November 15th. Alternatively, customers can choose to prepay their contributions in annual, bi-annual or quarterly instalments. In this case, you would pay; annually on January 1st, every six months on January 1st and July 1st, or every three months on January 1st, April 1st, July 1st and October 1st. What happens if you forget to pay? If you miss your payment deadline, you can expect to promptly be hit with a fine. An initial late payment penalty would be at least equal to one percent of the outstanding amount due, or a minimum of €8. If another four weeks pass and the fee and fine are still not paid, then the collection service can apply additional reminder fees, as well as potentially pursuing enforcement measures or beginning administrative offence proceedings. Failing to pay for more than six months could result in a fine of up to €1,000. EXPLAINED: The consequences you face in Germany if you don't pay debts Advertisement Switch to direct deposit or set-up reminders To avoid incurring any additional fees or unnecessary inconvenience, anyone paying the radio tax by bank transfer may want to switch their payments to be collected automatically via direct deposit. Otherwise you'd be advised to set-up recurring reminders in your calendar so that you won't miss any payments going forward. In your final payment notice you should see a QR code which will allow you to download payment reminders that are tailored to your own payment schedule. The Rundfunkbeitrag service website also has calendar entry reminders available for download (as an ICS file).

Macron fears regime change chaos as Trump ups threats on Iran, World News
Macron fears regime change chaos as Trump ups threats on Iran, World News

AsiaOne

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • AsiaOne

Macron fears regime change chaos as Trump ups threats on Iran, World News

KANANASKIS, Alberta — French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (June 17) underlined his differences with US President Donald Trump over Iran, appearing to oppose tougher military action against Tehran that could lead to regime change and plunge Iran and the region into chaos. Macron on Monday had suggested to reporters that Trump was leaving the G7 as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. He was firmly rebuffed Tuesday morning when Trump on X said Macron was mistaken and said his departure had nothing to do with securing a ceasefire. Since Tuesday morning, Trump has upped the bellicose rhetoric demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender" and warning that US patience was wearing thin as the Israel-Iran air war raged for a fifth day. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 17, 2025 Israel has said it launched its operation to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has repeatedly denied. Macron said Trump appeared to have changed his opinion since he met G7 leaders in Canada on Monday where Macron claimed Trump had told them he was pushing for a ceasefire. "We don't want Iran to get a nuclear weapon," Macron said. "But the biggest error would be to use military strikes to change the regime because it would then be chaos and our responsibility is to return discussions as quickly as possible to be able to set a course again on the nuclear and ballistic question." Macron said Iran's nuclear programme had to be once again be put under international supervision and its ballistic missile arsenal reduced, but he was categorically opposed to strikes on energy infrastructure, civilians and military action that could lead to regime change. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could face the same fate as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a US-led invasion and hanged in 2006 after a trial. [[nid:719162]] "Does anyone think that what was done in Iraq in 2003 was a good idea? Does anyone think that what was done in Libya the next decade was a good idea? No!," Macron said. "I'm also thinking of our friends in the region, in Iraq, Lebanon, and elsewhere. We must help them reduce everything that, indeed, threatens their security, but they need anything but chaos." Macron's comments were also in stark contrast with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Israel was doing the "dirty work" for its Western allies, but could fall short without US support. Israel has severely hit Iran's nuclear programme, but without US firepower can likely not destroy Fordow, a plant dug deep into a mountain, where Iran has enriched uranium up to 60 per cent, close to the 90 per cent weapons grade. "The Israeli army is obviously unable to accomplish that. It lacks the necessary weapons. But the Americans have them," said Merz in an interview with broadcaster ZDF. In another interview he said the decision could be made soon depending on whether Iran was prepared to return to the negotiating table. [[nid:719197]]

Germany's Merz praises Israel for doing ‘dirty work for us'
Germany's Merz praises Israel for doing ‘dirty work for us'

Russia Today

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • Russia Today

Germany's Merz praises Israel for doing ‘dirty work for us'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly lauded Israel's military strikes against Iran, stating that the Israeli government and army have courageously undertaken the 'dirty work' on behalf of Western nations. The German leader made the remarks in a series of interviews on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, attended by all guarantors of the original Iran nuclear deal, except for Russia and China. 'This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime,' Merz said in an interview with ZDF, claiming that 'this mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world.' I can only say: the greatest respect for the fact that the Israeli army and the Israeli leadership had the courage to do this. 'I assume that the attacks of the last few days have already weakened the mullah regime considerably and that it is unlikely to return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain,' Merz added in a separate interview with Welt. Germany is part of the P5+1 group that negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, back in 2015. Despite his support for the strikes, Merz claimed that Berlin stands ready to back new negotiations to ensure that Iran never obtains nuclear weapons. West Jerusalem justified its Friday attack by claiming Iran was on the brink of obtaining a nuclear weapon. Tehran has repeatedly denied such accusations, maintaining that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Iran retaliated by firing dozens of ballistic missiles into Israel, with the sides exchanging attacks ever since. Iran has reported at least 224 deaths since hostilities began, while in Israel the government reports 24 fatalities. In a joint statement on Monday, the leaders of the G7 branded Iran as the 'principal source of regional instability and terror,' adding, 'we have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.' US President Donald Trump demanded an 'unconditional surrender' from Iran on Tuesday, warning that he wanted Iran to forgo 'entirely nuclear weapons.' Washington previously demanded that Tehran stop all uranium enrichment – something Iranian officials described as 'completely detached from reality.' Iran currently enriches uranium to 60% purity, far above the 3.67% cap set under the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal, which was rendered null and void after Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from it during his first term. Russia has condemned Israel's initial airstrikes and called for de-escalation. President Vladimir Putin spoke with Trump by phone over the weekend, and according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the two discussed the possibility of reviving negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

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