Question 291 · Federal question
Why must one indicate in the tax declaration in Germany whether they belong to a church…
German original (as asked in the real test)
Warum muss man in Deutschland bei der Steuererklärung angeben, ob man einer Kirche angehört oder nicht? Weil …
- A es eine Kirchensteuer gibt, die an die Einkommen- und Lohnsteuer geknüpft ist. ✓ Correct answer
- B das für die Statistik in Deutschland wichtig ist.
- C man mehr Steuern zahlen muss, wenn man nicht zu einer Kirche gehört.
- D die Kirche für die Steuererklärung verantwortlich ist.
Translation
Why must one indicate in the tax declaration in Germany whether they belong to a church or not? Because …
- A there is a church tax that is linked to income and wage tax. ✓ Correct answer
- B it is important for statistics in Germany.
- C one has to pay more taxes if they do not belong to a church.
- D the church is responsible for the tax declaration.
Explanation
In Germany, registered members of certain religious communities pay a church tax that is collected alongside income/wage tax. Therefore, tax authorities need to know religious affiliation to calculate and remit this tax correctly.
Tips
- Look for keywords like church tax and its link to income/wage tax. Eliminate options that suggest statistical purposes, higher taxes for non-members, or that churches handle tax filings. Recall that tax authorities, not churches, administer taxes; membership matters only to determine a specific surcharge for recognized religious bodies.
Practice in the app
