Germany’s Church Tax

Monday, December 3rd, 2007 | European Union |

In Germany, you’re sorted into Catholic or Protestant (Lutheran), depending on the professed faith of your parents (who are either Catholic or Lutheran depending on the faith of their parents, and so on.) The state takes “church tax” out of your paycheck, which goes to the church of your denomination directly. You can opt out of church tax by leaving the church altogether, but that requires some paperwork and an official declaration, so it’s a bit of a hassle.

IDNNKT. According to Wikipedia,”Church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria and some parts of Switzerland.”

P.S. - Marko and his family are on their way to the new home in the Live Free or Die state. Marko, we hardly knew ye.

1 Comment to Germany’s Church Tax

Chris Range
December 3, 2007

It’s remarkable what kinds of institutions and customs remain and which go away over the history of a society.

Europe is regarded here as far more secular than the USA, with few people actually attending church. Yet in these social democratic countries the state is paying for the churches. And you have to pay these taxes based on what religion your parents were, and not the faith you choose to follow? To my American eyes this seems bizarre.

I would have figured after centuries of warfare and all kinds of social upheavals, that Europeans would have long since gone with some equivalent of a non-establishment clause.