Church Temporarily Withdrawal Fees Hiked - Exiting Religious Organizations Now Imposes Higher Costs
In the historic city of Erfurt, the Left party has voiced criticism over the current procedure for exiting a church, particularly in the Thuringia region. Sascha Bilay, a state parliamentarian from the Left party, recently spoke about the party's concerns, suggesting a more streamlined approach to this process.
The Left party proposes that the exit from a church should be a matter between the individual and the church, minimising the involvement of bureaucracy and administrative bodies. This regulation, if implemented, would potentially reduce the amount of red tape associated with leaving a church.
One of the key aspects of the proposed regulation is the elimination of the need for the Tax Office to be involved in the process. Sascha Bilay emphasised that, under this new system, the state would have no further involvement once the individual's church exit has been registered.
Currently, registry offices in Thuringia charge higher fees for certifying church exits due to administrative cost structures and the connection of church membership to taxation. In Germany, church membership is linked to the collection of church tax, which is administered by the state through its tax authority. When a person formally leaves a church, the state stops collecting this church tax from them.
The higher fees for certifying church exits in Thuringia reflect the administrative processing required to officially register this change of status. This fee is intended partly to cover the cost of updating official records and notifying the churches that the person is no longer a member, which in turn affects tax collection. The amount charged varies among German states, with some states opting for low or no fees, but Thuringia tends to charge more, making it one of the more expensive places in Germany to file a formal church exit.
This system directly impacts the amount of church tax collected by the state on behalf of churches. The state collects the tax on behalf of the churches and forwards it to them. Therefore, certifying a church exit terminates this tax liability, and the fee covers the administrative effort to enforce that change.
The Left party's proposal aims to simplify this process, making it more accessible for individuals while reducing bureaucracy and administrative costs. The party's stance aligns with the belief that matters of faith are private affairs and should remain so, with minimal interference from the state. The proposal is currently under discussion, and its potential impact on church tax administration in Thuringia remains to be seen.
The Left party's proposal seeks to simplify the process of exiting a church, suggesting that it should be a personal matter between the individual and the church, thereby reducing the involvement of administrative bodies and potentially minimizing red tape in church exits. This proposal, if enacted, may eliminate the need for the Tax Office to be involved in the church exit process and lower the fees charged by registry offices for certifying church exits, aligning with the party's overall goal of reducing bureaucracy in matters of faith and finance in business.
