German Words Explained » Tax

Zündwarensteuer

Graham — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:17:17 +0000

Zündwarensteuer was a tax in Germany applied to “Zündwaren” – things that can make fire.

The tax was originally introduced in 1909 and applied to matches, but in 1919 it was also extended to lighters.

It was discontinued in 1981.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Zuckersteuer

Graham — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:45:33 +0000

This podcast also talks about Pfeffersteuer (pepper tax) and Schokoladensteuer (chocolate tax).

Zuckersteuer was a tax in Germany on sugar. The tax was originally introduced in Prussia in 1841 – one year after the sugar cube was invented. Sugar had become more popular in previous years following the introduction of the sugar beet.

The tax was discontinued at the end of 1992.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Salzsteuer

Graham — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:38:55 +0000

Salzsteuer was a tax in Germany on salt, specifically on table salt.

Originally salt was considered to be a luxury and hence was taxed.

The tax was discontinued in Germany at the beginning on 1993, in Austria in 1995, but continues to this day in some parts of Switzerland.

The type of salt that is used to keep roads clear in winter was not taxed. To avoid people buying the “wrong” type of salt and avoiding the tax, the latter was coloured and had a bitter taste added – a process called vergällen.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Leuchtmittelsteuer

Graham — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:36:42 +0000

Leuchtmittelsteuer is a tax that was levied in Germany on light bulbs until the end of 1992.

Originally there was a tax on candle wax, but this was “modernised” at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The tax was discontinued as part of measures to harmonise taxes within the EU.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Teesteuer

Graham — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:14:16 +0000

This month in German Words Explained we are talking about types of tax that have been discontinued.

Tea was first taxed in Germany in the 17th Century. At first it was the import of tea that was being taxed, but in 1953 this changed to be a tax on the sale of tea products.

The tax was discontinued at the beginning of 1993.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Jagdsteuer

Graham — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:00:23 +0000

Jagdsteuer is a tax that has to be paid in Germany by people who either want to hunt or fish.

It is a tax that is paid locally, and some areas of Germany do not levy it at all. The level of tax to be paid depends on the annual catch or on other factors such as the area hunted or fished.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Hundesteuer

Graham — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:24:08 +0000

Hundesteuer is a tax that is paid by dog owners, similar to a dog license in other countries.

In the 19th Century the German state considered it a luxury for a private person to have a dog, hence the tax.

There are however exceptions, eg. for guard dogs – as long as these are owned by a company.

Dogs that are particularly dangerous often pay a higher rate of tax, whereas guide dogs pay less tax in some areas of Germany.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Zwischenerzeugnissteuer

Graham — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:57:29 +0000

Zwischenerzeugnissteuer is a tax that is applied to a range of drinks that do not fall into other categories.

Usually these are the products of wine, which has been further processed. This includes fortified wines, sherry, madeira, and port.

It does not, however, cover sparkling wines.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Biersteuer

Graham — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:07:56 +0000

Biersteuer is a tax that is paid on beer in Germany. The level of tax is based on the gravity of the beer, measured in Grad Pluto, which is effectively a measurement of the amount of sugar and thus ethanol that the beer contains.

The tax is included in the price of beer when you buy it, and is collected by the government from the brewers.

Homebrewers, whilst not having to pay the tax provided that they do not produce more than 2 hectolitres per year, are still required to register their brewing activities with the customs office.

Alcohol-free beer is not usually taxed in this way, although mixed drinks such as shandy (eg. Radler) are.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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Kaffeesteuer

Graham — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:47:15 +0000

Kaffeesteuer is a tax on coffee in Germany. The tax is included in the price of coffee that is bought in German shops.

The tax originally started in Prussia, but was confirmed in its current form before the formation of the Federal Republic in 1948 in is even mentioned in the German basic law (Grundgesetz).

This causes problems for people who buy their coffee outside of Germany, for example in Dutch supermarkets or by mail order. Theoretically they should declare the coffee and pay the tax, and failure to do so can cause the tax office to investigate the non-payment.

Whilst the mail-order situation may be clear, buying the coffee for one’s own personal use and bringing it back to Germany causes a conflict between various German tax and custom laws, not to mention EU laws.

To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:

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