So instead the idea is that the taxpayer subsidies the BBC even more? Councils don't receive no money at all from those on benefits, they receive it from central government instead.
Council tax levels vary across the country, how would that be factored in?
You can be hauled up before magistrates for non-payment of council tax, so what happens when this is included?
Councils are the ones chasing the debts.
It would seem the Germans have a TV licence system. It is NOT included in their property tax.
Link.
Quote:
The licence fee is a legally prescribed contribution for citizens, companies and institutions as well as for public interest bodies. For private households, the current fee is 17.50 euros per month.
The contribution serves to finance public broadcasting service based on a contributory model. Contributory means that in principle all adult citizens, companies and institutions as well as public interest bodies in Germany should make a contribution – regardless of their actual media use. In this way, everyone can benefit from the variety and quality of the freely available public broadcasting services – even those who pay a reduced licence fee or none at all. The objective is to ensure the highest possible level of fairness in the financing.
...
The fee is paid directly to the public broadcasting service and not to the revenue office, for example. This ensures that the public radio, television and internetservices can be produced independently of government influence.
...
The contribution service checks its database on a regular basis
If citizens move into a dwelling and legally register their new place of residence, the residents’ registration office will notify the contribution service of this. The latter will then write to the persons concerned in order to clarify the contribution obligation for the dwelling.
In addition, a nationwide registration data matching takes place at regular intervals. On a specified reporting date, all residents’ registration offices submit the registration data of all adults in Germany to the contribution service. In the course of this, those persons whose dwelling had no record of a contribution account when the data were matched are contacted.
|
Link
Quote:
What happens if I don’t pay it?
If you choose to ignore the correspondence from the Rundfunkbeitragsservice, usually the process is as follows:
You will receive numerous reminders to register, which will ultimately result in them forcibly registering you and assigning a number to your case. You will then receive demands for payment, which will have late fees added to them if you don’t pay. If you ignore these, your case will be referred to a collection agency who will then pursue the payment through the legal channels available to them.
Ultimately, they will give your case to a bailiff. If you continue to refuse to pay, or do not allow the bailiff access to your apartment, then they may freeze your bank account and take what is owed plus any administration fees they have incurred for collecting the money.
|
So apart from the discounts, what is meant to be that great about the German system?
