Beitragsservice von ARD

The Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio , commonly referred to simply as Beitragsservice, is the organization responsible for collecting the television and radio fee from private individuals, companies and institutions in Germany.

The Beitragsservice is headquartered in Cologne and is an unincorporated joint organisation of Germany's public broadcasting institutions ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio, as well as their public-law affiliates. Mandatory licence fees are set in the Rundfunkfinanzierungsstaatsvertrag . Since 2013, every private household in Germany has been required to pay these fees, regardless of whether the household actually has the capability to receive the broadcasts themselves. Exceptions can be made for individuals with low income or health issues. Until 2013, the organisation was known as GEZ, short for Gebühreneinzugszentrale der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland . The organisation collaborates with German civil registration offices to enforce the collection of the fees.

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