Apparently even if you list any religion, Germany will collect a church tax from you if you list ANY religion. So people moving to Germany, when registering yourself at the city, tell them you are an atheist or it will cost you dearly. Also if you want to get out of it, you fill up a form which costs 30 euros and it takes another two months to go away.
That's deceptive. The tax form lists several churches that have decided to let the state collect their "membership dues". Many churches and denominations have declined to do so, and you won't find them on the tax form. You simply tick "none" if you're not a member of those specifically listed churches. And if you are, well, you owe that money to the church. You're free to leave that church.
Having tithes collected by the state is a breach in the separation of church and state (for historical reasons), but it's not like the churches have no choice.
* The Protestant Church (the "big one", there are myriads of small protestant free churches, especially in southern Germany – none of which participates)
* The Catholic Church
* The Old Catholics
* "Free Religion Congregations" (a special group)
* The Unitarians
* The Jewish congregations
It also lists twenty-two churches that don't let the state collect money on their behalf, including the Methodists, the Salvation Army, Mormons, some Pentecostal church, Alevits, Muslims and so on).
(signed by an angry German)
Wrong.
> They get a free appartement, a free car with a driver and a salary near 10,000 €/Month
I guess you should leave the Catholic church then. Oh, you're not a member? Why should you have a say in what salary Catholics find adequate?
Note you're not just getting out of the tax, you're getting out of your church (or equivalent depending on religion). To take Catholic Church for example you can no longer get married in a church, cannot get a church funeral, can't be the godfather of a child or such.
The 30 Euro is just burocracy since the decision gets notarised. Same cost if you get married, a little less to get proof of residency. It's not meant as deterrent.
Personally I'd prefer state and church to be more separate here, even if it means double bookkeeping and extra cost (the Churches would have to deal with all the monthly money transactions). But the Wikipedia article goes into the historical context and it's unlikely to go away soon.
So the state is basically the collector of said tax.
That is not true anymore. When you go to the authorities and "leave the church", then the next month will not have the tax on your pay slip. If it does, you should be able to claim it in your next tax returns.
In the past there was a so called "Reuemonat" / repentance month, but that is not true anymore, as it has been abolished in 2014.
More integrated muslims are in favor of this, also more integrated muslims do not even identify as such and have no religion. Less integrated are opposed because they don't want to pay.