Every year the state treasury is filled with income from the dog tax. Many owners find the mandatory contributions to be too expensive. Why aren't cat owners also asked to pay?
The dog tax is a mandatory tax that is paid by dog owners to their local municipality and is due once a year. It is used to finance various public services and cover the costs associated with keeping dogs. Every year the dog tax brings in a large sum for the state.
What are these costs?
The income from the dog tax is often used for the administration and regulation of dogs - in other words, to limit the number of four-legged friends in the respective city. This includes registering dogs, issuing dog tags and maintaining databases. A portion is also used to carry out checks to ensure dogs are properly kept and cared for. This includes enforcing dog laws and regulations and identifying and controlling potentially dangerous dogs. In addition, the levy is used for cleaning and maintenance of public spaces to eliminate pollution caused by dogs. It is also an important source of revenue to cover the costs of various public services and to finance municipal programs and projects.
How much is the dog tax?
There is no uniform regulation. How expensive the dog tax is depends from state to state. The best thing to do is to ask your municipality, where you can find out how you can register your dog or de-register it if you move. But there are also exceptions: under which circumstances you do not have to pay dog tax.
Why do you pay dog tax but not cat tax?
In principle, the dog tax is purely a luxury tax. This can be roughly attributed to the fact that in the Middle Ages farmers had to pay a tax to their feudal lords. This was in the form of grain. A dog used to be used to guard the house and yard or perhaps this grain. He was therefore considered a farm animal. Keeping a four-legged friend for purely private purposes without any use was considered a luxury. Hence the luxury tax, which we now know as the dog tax.
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What about cats?
Cats were also considered farm animals. They kept the farm clean by hunting rats and mice. Nowadays, people are increasingly keeping both pets to keep them company. The cat is even the most popular pet among Germans. But introducing a cat tax is sometimes considered difficult to implement. It is not always clear whether a cat is kept as an indoor cat or whether it causes chaos outside as an outdoor cat.