What happens if no GEZ is paid? What are the possible consequences - and whether a Schufa entry can also be the result of unpaid contributions?
Hamburg – Unpaid GEZ contributions have often been the basis for court proceedings. Some consumers do not know the details of the monthly payment of the GEZ broadcasting fee. For example, missed payments can have far-reaching consequences and can even result in a stay in prison for not paying the GEZ. The so-called State Broadcasting Contribution Agreement obliges consumers to pay the respective contribution regularly.
Find out here when non-payment has consequences - and whether this could also result in a Schufa entry.
Community facility: |
ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio contribution service |
Founding: |
ARD |
Founder: |
ARD |
Seat: |
Cologne |
GEZ: Who has to pay the broadcasting fee?
According to reports from the Hamburg law firm
Kraus Ghendler Ruvinskij
, those affected have already tried it: They have tried to claim the GEZ or the broadcasting fee as illegal. An undertaking that was always doomed to failure and on which the Federal Constitutional Court most recently took a clear position in 2018. It is said that every tenant of a first home is obliged to pay the required contribution.
Since January 1, 2013, people in Germany no longer talk about the GEZ, but rather about the broadcasting fee that has to be paid. The result is always the same: regardless of whether the offers are used or not, a payment should nevertheless be made according to the State Treaty on Broadcasting Fees.
Otherwise, consequences for not paying the GEZ must be expected in any case. Pensioners are exempt: in certain cases they are permitted to be exempt from the GEZ. For everyone else, the payment order applies if you as a consumer do not want to run the risk of having your account seized because the GEZ has not been paid.
No GEZ paid – what now? In which case there is a risk of a Schufa entry
First there is the payment reminder, then the reminder that arrives in the mailbox of the person concerned if the financial payment to the broadcasting fee service has not been made. In the worst case scenario, the responsible authority at the state broadcasting center can initiate further steps. Among other things, it is possible for the institution to produce an enforcement order in order to obtain the compulsory contribution.
The consequences of not making a payment are varied and can range from an account seizure to an asset disclosure right up to a court-ordered house search.
Schufa entry due to GEZ: Consumers have to be careful when it comes to foreclosure
In addition, there may also be a risk of a Schufa entry. According to the online portal juraforum.de, a corresponding report is made when the GEZ contribution has only been made in the scenario of compulsory enforcement. A Schufa entry is therefore also made in response to an asset report. Note for those affected: An objection can be lodged before an assessment notice is issued and, in certain circumstances, a negative entry in Schufa can be avoided.