Unfortunately the Billag tax is due even if you don't have TV or radio, just Internet.

Unless you live with someone who already pays the Billag, as the tax is for "ménage familier", not per person.

And yes, I agree with you it's a ridicolous scam.

Yeh thats what it seems

Wondrr is there a way to pay for it in coins just to be awkward!

Thnks

I watch Swiss TV on my iPad.  Have to pay Billag.

It’s a hugely unpopular tax but we all have to grin and pay up, so just add it to your cost of living in CH.  Billag are adept at ferreting those who try to avoid paying, so be aware that you won’t win this one.

Best, R.

Yep... and you have to pay a year in advance - and if you ask for it quarterly they apply an additional admin fee!!  It's complete and utter bollocks - we have Bluewin and watch everything via our internet (UK TV) - But it's the 'ability' to receive the channels you are paying for.  As been mentioned.

Same thing when I complained that my health insurance had risen, even though I never made a claim... I was told that claims throughout Switzerland had gone up, so everyone's health insurance rose accordingly to cover the cost.  Kind of like sharing the whole restuarant bill when you just have the salad and a coke.  Switzerland... it is what it is!

It’s not the “ability to receive” but the “privilege of receiving”, so welcome to a land where TV reception, health care, and lunch of course, are never free. 

Thanks all, yes I had accepted that I was fighting a losing battle and tbh I dont mind paying for a tv license , idid in the UK just the price tag seems a little onerus for something I will never use even if I do have the great "priviledge" of doing so.

And yes starting ti factor in a a few more items in the "  cost of living" bucket since getting here!!!!!

Thnks 

JC

Please find below ll the regulations concerning bilag and in english from the swiss government portal which is excellent

http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/784_401/a63.html

In short: you can't escape it once you are on their radar screen.

i heard of people go we're not contacted by billag for years, so got away with it. But once they know of your existence, no way out (as far as I know)

Can I just ask again - for fun - about BIllag? So it doesn't matter if I never have and never will access Swiss TV and radio...I still have to pay?

They found me, We paid, and now they billed my husband. I gather though that this is a menage familial situation, and we don't have to pay per head?

Bearded:

The criteria the law set out for determining if you have to pay for Billlag is not if you actually access Swiss Tv/Radio, but if if you have the capability to access them.  So for the law, it's enough that you can receive radio or tv somewhere (such as a car radio or a PC with internet), even if you don't, to make you have to pay for it. Crazy, but that's how they work. 

As far as I understand, you pay by household for house-related Billag things. If you have 2 cars tho, each under a different name, you might have to pay twice. 

Thanks...especially for indulging my to-be-doubly-sure question yeah...it's a scam!

Well the same is in the uk, they also pay tv licence.

in what amount?

GBP145.50 p.a. - about CHF215.

Given that the cost of living in Switzerland is roughly double that in the UK, the Billag fee is actually quite cheap in comparison

And do OAPs and the physically impaired still get concession in the UK?  As far as I know, there is absolutely nothing of that sort in CH.

R.

I doubt that...

It seems to me that only a few can benefit of an exemption, under very strict conditions. I'd be glad to be wrong, though...

I have a new question (yay). Is it a tax? or some other classification of money bleeding?

Yeah, they found us. We had no idea what the hell it was, as we had never used TV or radio (apart from the cable access we had already paid for) so we got a whopping bill. My husband did anyway, and then they sent me a bill, cumulative.

Officially, it's not. It's not an "impôt", but a "redevance". The idea being that you pay for the service. Practically, it is a tax.

It's tricky when you have a social life, but one can declare that he/she has no TV, no radio, no internet and therefore doesn't have to pay the tax. They will send some agents to his/her home to verify, but nothing they can do if you are never home to greet them.

So that's how they get the diplomats too, I guess. Don't get me wrong - I have no problem paying for what I actually use. this is rubbish though. 

I’m AVS and I listen to the radio but I don’t have TV.  However, because I could use my p.c. to watch programmes (which I don’t)  I still have to pay the full licence fee.

I's a rip off!

> They found me, We paid, and now they billed my husband. I gather though that this is a menage familial situation, and we don't have to pay per head?

I've seen that you posted this question some time ago. Actually they don't have any right to make you pay twice. The tax is for family, which means that if you and your husband live together, you will have to pay the tax only once.

And the number of devices able to receive radio / TV / Internet doesn't matter. Your car radio, your husband's car radio, your TVs, stereos, laptops, desktop computers, smartphones, portable radios, all are covered by one tax payment. 

Yes, I posted when we got the first 'gotcha' letter from them. That is to say when they found out we hadn't been paying, and had been blissfully unaware of its existence. The first letter was to my husband, and then one for his car. Then to me. I wrote back telling them we are married, one household etc, but they kept sending the bills. Rinse and repeat.

It's good to know that all devices are covered (ie hubsters car etc). Though I am not sure now where to go. They obviously don't like letters.

I never gave a dime to Billag.  Ignored the random knocks at the door; discarded the packets appearing in the mailbox 1-2x per year from Agent so-and-so...  It was my civil disobedience.  I would've gladly paid had I been a consumer of Swiss media.  I wasn't so I didn't.

it's all fun and games until you get a Notice of Poursuite in the mail.

I got lucky, apparently.

The rules are that you have to pay if you own a device that's capable of receiving transmissions -- this would've been hard for them to do without someone [illegally] entering my domicile for inspection.

I've heard that a Billag case has never successfully wound its way through the court system -- a loss would set a judicial precedent that could end the entire scheme.  They don't want to roll that dice.

We just received this email at glocals HQ:

From: Billag CH
To: glocals.com Genera Management

Re: One RichardM

Dear Sirs, 

It has come to our attention that one RichardM, who is a memebr of your esteemed web site, never gave us a dime. Further, this RichardM character claims he avoided our random knocks on his door and our bi-annual letters. 

We consider that to be grave civil disobesience, and we will act accordingly. More over, we have heard reports this RicahrdM once took a newspaper from a paper box without paying, in 2003. Put together, these issues point a disturing case. 

We have put this topic on top priority (well agead of global warming and the war on ISIS) and will update on the progress. 

The Friendly Billag Team"

From what I know you have to pay the Billag thing even if you just have a machine that can catch electric signals, and it doesn't matter if you actually use the machine or not. So if you have a smart phone or a PC, and even if you don't have internet at home, you already have to pay the tax. In short, there's no real way to get billag to say you don't owe them money. 

Them are the rules indeed. So even if you have a smart phone capable of receiving internet, Billag will say you owe them money. 

Sadly, Swiss voters have had the power to end this Billag nonsense and they haven't.  Yet.

Though things are looking up lately.  

this is the part I love - not being able to vote, but having to pay for something you don't use.

I know, I know...rich peoples problems

Can anyone shed any light as to just how Billag is allowed to operate the way they do, especially the knocking on one’s front door to search for a receiving device that’s lurking under the bed or behind the cistern?

Well, they aren't law enforcement officers.  They can't barge in.  But I've heard that once you let them in, they don't just stand near the door with a polite smile.  Oh no, they march right into your home to look for the "contraband."

Which is why I never answered the door unless I knew who was out there.  I figure if someone really needs something from me then they can leave a note.  The Swiss are passive-aggressive note writing gold medalists -- if they want me there's a note and a stamp for that.

If you read the rules re: the internet question, my interpretation is you only have to pay the TV portion of the fee if you have an 'account' which permits watching TV. Since I don't, I only pay the Radio portion.

You don't automatically have to pay the full fee just because you have an internet connection. - That's my view.

> this would've been hard for them to do without someone [illegally] entering my domicile for inspection.

I am not a lawyer, but wouldn't a data cell phone subscription in your name (e.g. with Swisscom) also be a valid proof that you use a smartphone, and therefore have to pay the Billag?  Just asking. 

Perception people. If this tax was slipped in with your personal income tax, like most countries do, this discussion of 'unfair practice' wouldn't occur, despite same net result.

It would be better to discuss the purpose of tax collection as a benefit to the community. Or how someone living on  65,000 chf/ year is paying the same flat rate as someone making 300,000 chf/year, for a service they may not use.

I think you meant to say 'perspective', and I would be quite happy for it to be 'slipped in with personal income tax'.

Unfortunately not, but I did find out that even if you are deaf and blind you STILL must pay this tax. I am not able to listen to the radio because of a raging condition of tinnitus, but no. I still must pay.

I am interested to know why otherwise "tax-exempt" folk are still obliged to pay this federal tax.

The way it works in the UK is not as harsh as over here, in the sense that they will (unlikely but can happen) knock on your door. They can have a look (and you can hold your ground if you like) but the abilitiy to watch something is not the measure they go by. It is seeing if you actually have a tv (unless they evolved with the times). It is quite an unpopular tax/fee, but to be fair the BBC is pretty damn good, the same cannot be said for swiss tv. I feel that because people can escape it more easily over there, they do.

So if you have internet but dont have a TV, they cant do anything. But if you declare not to own a tv, and want to be exempt, expect a knock at the door and for them to check.

Also there are a few exemptions and discounts, for example those who cant afford it, the elderly, and those who have a black and white tv get a discount. You can also pay in installments, not sure if they charge more, which wouldnt make sense as usually if you need to pay it in installments, it is due to a lack of money.

As mentioned, If you plan to move around a lot, dont bother, but you know, keep in mind the risk.

With regards to checkling mobile phone plans under someones name... that would worrying that they could access that information.

If you check back on this Forum, and ask around a bit, you will realise that what you have written is wrong,

Quote "So if you have internet but dont have a TV, they can't do anything. But if you declare not to own a tv, and want to be exempt, expect a knock at the door and for them to check."

To be quite clear: if you own or rent any electronic system that is capable of displaying TV images, then you must pay the Billag man. If you have any Internet, you can use Zattoo and therefore watch TV programs on the computer. If you own a smart phone, you can use WiFi to connect to Zattoo, the result is the same: pay the Billag.

Remember, the Billag interpret the Swiss laws, and issue fines and court summons.

We don't care really if you pay Billag or don't pay, but please be prepared for unhappy consequences.

Also remember that the Billag man cannot force an entry to your property. You have to allow him inside, or he shows you a Court Order to search your home, usually he has with him a uniformed police officer.

If you are on a very low income (say less than Fr 3'000 for a single person) and receive any income supplement, you receive also a "Get out of paying Billag" certificate.

Sorry if it wasnt clear but I was still referring to the UK system.

I also pay Billag, 460 CHF a year! is it the same amount for a single person and for a family of 4?

Ally, this has already been said. The tax must be paid per family. Therefore if more people live together in the same "ménage familier", they end up paying less as the tax is shared amongst them. Think of it as the electricity bill.

While it seems reasonable to fund quality public radio and TV channels from taxes, Billag is a rip-off for multiple reasons:

- It starts with the premise that everybody is guilty: "If you have a TV/radio receiver, internet or a mobile phone, you are surely using it to watch Swiss public programs". What if I don't watch Swiss programs? What if I don't see TV at all and just need a TV for watching my DVDs? It does not matter, pay and shut up.

- It is not proportional or anyhow correlated with the user income or fortune. Poor families/individuals will pay the same as rich ones, and thus cannot economise: they could very well get by without an unnecessary service and allocate the savings to let's say food or basic consumer goods.

- It is not proportional to the number of individuals in the household, number of TV/raidio receivers, or number of hours used. 

- If in the end, basically everybody has to pay, why do we need an intermediary organisation to collect this "tax"? Can't it just be paid together with the income and fortune tax in the annual declaration? If everybody has to pay, there is no need for Billag inspectors either. Their salaries could be instead allocated to TV/radio funding, hence reducing the tax for everybody.

In my view, it is a stupid system, and the reform that was recently voted does not solve any of its unfairness.

2 years later and Billag is still with us. Does a person renting a room have to register with Billag (even if the actual fee itself is being paid by the person whose name is on the rental contract)?

It's (supposedly) per household, not per person. 

Billag never goes away...

As far as I know, it's per house, not per person

So I don't have to register with Billag, thanks

Sure does ! As from 1 July, 2017 this year (and until 31 December 2025, at least and as an initial "try-out" mandate) and following a public tender, BILLAG is replaced for collection of Swiss TV/radio license fee-purposes by company Serafe SA (a subsidiary of insurance company Secon SA). Remains to be seen what new efforts, infrastrure, IT systems and other such nasties such new company may introduce for the boosting of federal revenues in this part.....