Broadcasting fee: From now on it can get more expensive – you should take that into account
Yesterday, May 15, 2022, was an important deadline. Because from now on you have to make sure that you pay the license fee on time. Otherwise there is a risk of a late payment penalty.
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Broadcasting fee: From now on it can get expensive – you should bear that in mind
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Yesterday, May 15, 2022 was or still is an important day for license fee payers. Namely for those broadcasting fee payers who do not have their broadcasting fee of 55.08 euros for a quarter collected by direct debit, but transfer it themselves every three months. Because as of May 15, 2022, the “ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Contribution Service” no longer sent reminders for quarterly payments for the first time. So now you have to take action yourself.
The broadcasting fee will probably continue to rise – that’s the reason
The contribution service had already pointed out this important change in February 2022, you can read more about this in the article broadcast contribution: Now it can get more expensive – for these payers.
From now on, license fee payers will only receive a reminder once a year with all payment dates valid for the coming year. The problem: If you forget to transfer the broadcasting fee on time, you have to pay a late payment surcharge. This amounts to at least eight euros.
You must therefore remember the payment dates yourself and transfer them in good time. These are the deadlines:
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May 15th
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15th of August
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15th of November
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February 15.
The amount of 55.08 euros must be transferred no later than four weeks after the respective due payment date.
Alternatively, you can switch to direct debit. You can change this on the Contribution Service website under “Name, address, payment method”
Cash payment is generally not possible
The Bavarian consumer advice center also refers to a judgment of the Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) of April 27, 2022 (Az. 6 C 2.21, 6 C 3.21). According to this, the broadcasters can generally refuse to pay the license fee in cash. The long dispute over the question of whether one can pay the license fee in cash has thus been decided. Because paying the broadcasting fee in cash had developed into a form of protest.
“Only contributors who can prove that they cannot open a current account should be able to pay their contribution in cash and without additional costs in the future,” says Esther Jontofsohn-Birnbaum from the Bavarian Consumer Advice Center.
