The licence fee
The licence fee for businesses and institutions – 2
Simple and modern
Number of vehicles
One motor vehicle used for business purposes per business premises that is liable for licence fees is exempt. One third of the licence fee, that is € 5.83* per month, is payable for each further vehicle.
Number of hotel and guest rooms or holiday apartments
Anyone who lets hotel or guest rooms or holiday apartments must pay a licence fee of € 5.83* per month for each room or apartment. The first room or first apartment at each business premises is exempt.
Small and micro-enterprises
Approx. 90 per cent of all business premises fall under licence fee categories 1 and 2 - and therefore pay a maximum of €17.50* a month.
Seasonal businesses
Owners who shut down their businesses completely for more than three months seasonally can apply to be excempted.
Self-employed persons working from home
Self-employed persons working from home who already pay a licence fee for their home are not required to pay an addi-tional licence fee for their business. However, they must pay a licence fee for motor vehicles used for business purposes, at € 5.83* per month per vehicle.
Your licence fee
In 2013 a new funding model for ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio came into effect. Businesses, public sector institutions and non-profit-organisations now pay their licence fee based on the number of their business premises, their employees and their motor vehicles.
Employees per business premises
The amount of licence fee payable per business premises is determined by the average number of employees who work there during a one year period. This includes all full- and part-time employees who pay social security contributions, but not marginally employed persons, trainees and proprietors.
Public sector institutions and non-profit-organisations such as schools and fire departments pay a monthly maximum of €17.50* per business premises.
* Permanent sites are (business) premises that are not used exclusively for private purposes, e.g. a production facility, office, shop or hospital.
Category Employees perbusiness premises* Number of fees Monthly fee payable in euros
1 0 to 8 1/3 5,83 2 9 to 19 1 17,50 3 20 to 49 2 35,00 4 50 to 249 5 87,50 5 250 to 499 10 175,00 6 500 to 999 20 350,00 7 1.000 to 4.999 40 700,00 8 5.000 to 9.999 80 1.400,00 9 10.000 to 19.999 120 2.100,00 10 From 20.000 180 3.150,00
Public interest bodies
Public interest bodies benefit from reduced fees. They pay a maximum monthly licence fee of €17.50* per business premises. If at a permanent site, they employ only eight employees or less, they only pay one third of the full fee, i.e. €5.83* per month. This licence fee also covers all motor vehicles licensed by this public interest body’s name.
This applies to:
• non-profit organisations serving the needs of the disabled, in particular residences, educational facilities and work-shops for the disabled,
• non-profit child welfare services working according to the German Child and Youth Services Act (Kinder- und Jugend- hilfegesetz, Achtes Buch des Sozialhilfegesetzbuches),
• non-profit organisations serving the elderly or addicts,
• non-profit organisations serving the homeless,
• registered charities and charitable trusts,
• publicly funded schools providing general education or vocational training and schools enjoying state recognition operating on a non-profit basis,
• institutions of higher education according to the Hochschulrahmengesetz,
• the fire and rescue service, police, armed forces, civil defence and emergency services.
If guest rooms are let, the licence fee must be paid for them, too, at the rate of € 5.83* per room per month. One guest room per business premises is excempted.
A complete exemption for all rooms applies, if they are exclusively used for the non-profit organisation’s educational activities.
Licence fee facts and figures
Example 1: The licence fee for small enterprises
A craft workshop has one business premises with nine employees, including one apprentice. The apprentice is not includ-ed in the fee calculation, so the number of employees liable for social security contributions is eight. The company falls into fee category 1. The company also holds four motor vehicles for business purposes. One vehicle is exempt, and the monthly fee for the others is € 5.83* each. So the total licence fee payable is €23.96 per month.
Example 2: The licence fee for enterprises with more than one business premises
A company has three business premises. The monthly fee for business premises 1, which has 17 employees paying social security contributions, is €17.50* per month. The other two sites both have three employees and each site pays one third of the full fee, i. e. € 5.83* per month.
The company also runs five motor vehicles for business purposes. Since one vehicle at each business premises is exempt,
Business premises
Vehicle
Total €23,32
Licence fee
8 employees
(apprentice is not included) €5,83
3 vehicles liable for fees
(one vehicle per business premises is exempt) €17,49
The licence fee for businesses and institutions – 4
Service portal for businesses
We have set up a service portal for you at www.rundfunkbeitrag.de. Register and make use of all the advantages of your licence fee online account, such as changing:
• Contact details or billing addresses
• Payment methods
• Number of employees at business premises contributing social security payments
• Number of your vehicles liable to pay the licence fee
• Number of hotel/guest rooms that you rent out
• Number and address of the holiday homes that you rent out
All registered businesses, whether they pay by single bank transfer, direct debit or standing order, can easily print their current requests for payment.
Communication with the Beitragsservice
I am moving my business premises.
• If you are already a registered licence fee payer, please let the Beitragsservice know your licence fee number and the adress you are moving your business premises to.
• If you have not paid a licence fee for your (business) premise, please register with the Beitragsservice.
I want to register my business premises or change my details.
• Registration is simple. Just go to www.rundfunkbeitrag.de.
• Addresses, account details and names can be changed online. Alternatively you can fill out the PDF document available on our site and send it in by mail.
• Forms are also available at your local town hall and at most banks.
I want to deregister or apply for exemption.
• If you temporarily shut down a business premises for more than three consecutive calendar months, you can submit an application for exemption.
• Deregistrations and applications for exemptions must always be made in writing. Please send your applications along with the relevant evidence to the Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio, 50656 Köln.
All information and forms
• Use our website www.rundfunkbeitrag.de. Here you will find all the information you need at a glance - we have answers to frequently asked questions, details on the licence fee and more background on how public service broadcasting is financed in general.
Contact
If you have any further questions, please use the contact form or call our service hotline on 01806 9995 5510 (20 cents per call from a German land line, a maximum of 60 cents per call from a mobile phone).
Version: March 2015
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