I kept reading stories about people having to pay “back” money from the Kirchensteuer and I’m getting stressed out.

I was baptized in Portugal when I was a baby and moved in to Germany around 1.5 years ago.

I never took part of anything else related to the Catholic church or christianism, hence I wrote that I didn’t have a religion when registering my address and on every other document.

Is there anything I can do to make sure I don’t get a 4-5 digit bill some time from now or am I just needlessly worrying?

EDIT: example of what I’m referring to: https://www.handelsblatt.com/english/politics/church-and-state-expats-beware-germany-uses-dodgy-tactics-to-snatch-church-tax/23582148.html

8 comments

  1. So, to clarify: you’re essentially asking whether you can do *Kirchenaustritt* (leaving the church from a German administrative perspective) retroactively, even having declared “no religion” on your *Anmeldung*? And you’re worried that if you do the *Kirchenaustritt* now, that the authorities will realise that you should have been paying church tax for the last eighteen months?

  2. Go to the church in your area and let them make a certificate, that you are in this community and a church goer (Don’t worry, last time I did it, I never went to this church once). With that you go to the Rathaus and tell them, that you want to leave church. It’s about 30 € where I live. I think with that certificate you can inform I think your employee that you are not longer a church member and your Kirchensteuer shouldn’t be deducted anymore. But I am not 100% sure, wanted to do it in 2021, but due to Covid and me working full time I hadn’t had the time yet.

  3. Don’t ask, don’t tell.

    You are declared as not having an official religion, so no church taxes are withheld. This means you are either an atheist or a member of some church that is outside the German Kirchensteuer program.

    As long as you don’t contact the Catholic Church, you should be fine.

    If you show up expecting to have a Catholic wedding after not paying church taxes for years, it could get messy…

  4. You are needlessly worrying.

    Many countries don’t even have a facility where you can deregister from a Religion. I doubt Portugal even know or care if you are a Catholic or not.

    If for some reason an organisation contacts the Catholic Church in Portugal looking for proof of your Christening they have breached all sorts of laws.

  5. Are you living in Germany? If yes for how long?

    If you only lived here for a few months, it’s probably best if you just officially leave the church and pay the taxes retroactively. If you’ve lived here for years, I’d probably just keep my mouth shut and hope they don’t find out.

  6. Honestly, the taxes aren’t that high. After only 18 months, I’d just bite the bullet and go do it the proper way. Otherwise you’ll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.

  7. I would leave the church in Portugal. Especially if they don’t know you live in Germany, this should reduce the risk of the German church going after you for your period here.

  8. As you were not baptised in Germany they are incredibly unlikely to find out.

    I’d just keep quiet.

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