Overview
- Germany’s household broadcasting fee remains 18.36 euros per month in 2026, with the KEF recommending an increase to 18.64 euros from January 2027 that still requires state approval.
- Full exemptions apply to recipients of social benefits such as Bürgergeld or Grundsicherung and to students receiving BAföG or trainees with Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe, while residents of fully inpatient care homes are generally not individually liable.
- People with the disability mark RF on their ID pay the one‑third rate, currently 6.12 euros per month.
- Relief is never automatic and must be applied for through the Beitragsservice with supporting documents; successful claims can trigger refunds for up to three preceding years when eligibility is proven.
- Hardship relief may be granted when income sits less than 18.36 euros above the social-need threshold, though decisions are discretionary and uncommon, with 495 student/trainee cases approved and 778 rejected in 2024; a separate test case now before the Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania tax court, backed by the taxpayers’ association, seeks to establish whether the fee can be deducted for tax purposes.