Anyone who owns a dog must register it with the municipality and pay dog tax. The dog tax is a municipal tax—each municipality can therefore set the amount, which can vary from place to place. The money goes into the budgets of the cities and municipalities. In Tübingen, one dog costs 144 euros in tax per year. In Rottenburg, the rate is 108 euros per year for one dog. If someone keeps several dogs, the tax rate there increases to 216.00 euros each for the second and each additional dog. The tax is paid annually. More details can be found on the homepages of the respective municipalities.
A dog becomes liable to tax when it is three months old. Anyone who buys a dog or moves in with it from another municipality must fill out a form at the municipality to register the dog. However, this can also be done online. After registration, the dog owner receives a tax notice and a dog tax tag with an individual number. The dog must wear this when it is outside the house. The tag allows the police to verify that the dog is registered correctly. If the dog no longer lives in the household, the owner can deregister it. Then he receives a part of the taxes back. Those who do not register their dog risk a ticket.
For some dogs, no dog tax has to be paid: In Tübingen, for example, these are rescue, guide or therapy dogs. In other cases, at least half of the dog tax is waived. This applies to single people over 60 who have a KreisBonusCard.
On the other hand, there are municipalities that charge higher tax rates for dogs that are classified as so-called fighting dogs – bull terriers, for example. Thus, a normal dog in Kirchentellinsfurt costs 96 euros per year, for a fighting dog, on the other hand, 270 euros in taxes are due per year.
More information about the dog tax:
https://www.tuebingen.de/verwaltung/verfahren#hundesteuer_anmeldung
https://www.rottenburg.de/hundesteuer+dog+register.19820.htm?lnav=22
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Hund auf Weg in der Natur. Foto: tünews INTERNATIONAL / Theresa Melnyk.
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