Reply #13: in Germany there are 2 state supported churches: RCatholic and Lutheran [View All]

[bobbieinok]

when you sign up/register for your 1st job, you fill out a card ....on the card there is a place to check if you are Catholic or Protestant (in German, protestantisch and evangelisch both mean Lutheran)....if you check yes for one of these, a church tax will be withheld in addition to the standard tax withholding.....in 91 the church tax was ca 8% of the standard tax (in American terms, a 'surcharge')

this church tax pays for the ministers and all other church workers, the churches' maintenance, any hospitals, rest homes, etc, that the churches run

although many Germans do not particularly like the tax and although many Germans rarely if ever attend church (they were baptized, therefore members), many Germans told me in 91 that without the church tax a lot of necessary social services would not exist or exist with very reduced support

(I'm not German; this info is what I obtained from asking questions and doing some reading.......if someone here has more accurate info, please correct)