When coming to Germany and registering at the Residence Office, you will be asked by the clerc about your religious denomination. The question may seem insignificant and the clerc will not tell you the reason for that question. But beware, if you reply that you are a Christian, you will have to pay a church tax. This tax is at a rate of upto 9% of your income tax. Sometimes the tax can be imposed also on the property. Depending on the region, this can amount to up to 10%. One more thing, you have the legal right not to answer this question or just say “keine Angabe”, which means “not specified”. In case you ended up paying a church tax and it was not on purpose, there is a way to stop that. Want to know how?
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