broadcasting fee
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broadcasting fee
A legally required fee in Germany that is charged per household to finance public broadcasting (television, radio, online services).
Jeder Haushalt in Deutschland muss den Rundfunkbeitrag zahlen, unabhängig davon, ob Geräte genutzt werden.
Every household in Germany must pay the broadcasting fee, regardless of whether devices are used.
This word is made up of three parts: 'rund' (round), 'Funk' (radio/broadcasting), and 'Beitrag' (contribution/fee). 'Rundfunk' refers to radio and television, and a 'Beitrag' is a fee. So 'Rundfunkbeitrag' literally means the fee for broadcasting.
Die Höhe des Rundfunkbeitrags wird regelmäßig diskutiert.
The amount of the broadcasting fee is regularly discussed.
In connection with the broadcasting fee, the verbs 'zahlen' (to pay) or 'entrichten' (to pay, more formal) are often used. If you do not have to pay, you are 'vom Rundfunkbeitrag befreit' (exempt from the broadcasting fee).
Studierende können sich unter bestimmten Umständen vom Rundfunkbeitrag befreien lassen.
Students can have themselves exempted from the broadcasting fee under certain circumstances.
An important detail is that the fee is paid 'pro Haushalt' (per household). This means that a shared apartment or a family pays the fee only once, no matter how many people live there or how many devices they own.
Unsere WG teilt sich die Kosten für den Rundfunkbeitrag.
Our shared apartment splits the cost of the broadcasting fee.
tax
'Steuer' and 'Rundfunkbeitrag' are both mandatory payments, but they have different functions. You pay a 'Steuer' to the state; it goes into public spending in general. The 'Rundfunkbeitrag' is a fixed fee per household in Germany and finances public media such as television, radio, and online services. Learners may confuse the words because both are required by law. Even so, you normally do not call the broadcasting fee a 'Steuer' when you mean this specific payment.
Der Rundfunkbeitrag wird in Deutschland pro Wohnung gezahlt.
The broadcasting fee is paid per apartment in Germany.
Luis legt jeden Monat Geld zurück, um später seine Steuer bezahlen zu können.
Luis sets money aside every month so he can pay his tax later.