Short Answer
The registration clerk registers you as a tax-paying religious member if you write your home country's denomination or leave the religion box ambiguous on your initial address form. Simply informing your boss or the tax office that you are an atheist does not stop the deductions.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You completed your apartment registration and mentioned your hometown baptism to the clerk during a brief moment of small talk. You didn't realize the official logged this down as a binding membership and activated the "KiSt" tax line on your electronic profile. You lost 450 € from your net income over the next six months before realizing you were funding an institution you never step foot in.
What To Do
- Check the "KiSt" section of your monthly payslip to see if active deductions are occurring.
- Book a formal exit appointment at the local municipal authorities immediately to halt the ongoing payroll drain.
- "Ich bin konfessionslos und möchte die Kirchensteuer stoppen." (I do not belong to a denomination and want to stop the church tax.) — ask your HR department for assistance in verifying your tax profile status.
The Truth
In many countries, religion is a private matter. In Germany, if you were baptized in your home country, the German church considers you a member and wants their dues.