Bundesportal | Registering and deregistering dog tax

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The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.

Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 18:00 (and beyond these times in some regions).

Call 115 now

Government service telephone number calls are charged at local rates.

The service may be applied for online, for example via an online form or a digital service. As a rule, it is not necessary to appear in person.

If you own one or more dogs, you generally have to pay dog tax. To do this, you must register your dog with the dog registry in Hamburg. The data recorded there is automatically transmitted to the responsible authority, and the dog tax assessment process is initiated.
Especially if you wish to apply for an exemption, reduction or waiver of dog tax, you can also register your dog with the relevant authority.

If you only take a dog into your care or custody temporarily, you are not considered its owner and do not have to pay dog tax.

If you have registered your dog in Hamburg and pay dog tax for it, you must deregister it if

You sold the dog,
the dog has gone missing,
the dog has died or
They are moving away from Hamburg.

The responsible authority sets the dog tax.

You must register the dog in the dog register within two weeks of acquiring the dog.

Preconditions

They keep a dog in Hamburg

Hints

The online registration is also the registration for the dog tax if your dog is not yet registered with the dog tax office.

32 euros

Basis for legal action

Hamburg Law on Keeping and Handling Dogs
(Dog Law - HundeG)

Legal Remedies

Hamburg Law on Keeping and Handling Dogs
(Dog Law - HundeG)

Deadlines

You must register the dog in the dog register within two weeks of acquiring the dog.

Processing time

You can download proof of registration immediately.

You can apply for the service by contacting the authority in person or in writing. Application forms are usually available for this purpose.

More Information

Publisher

Hamburg

Last update or date of publication

August 28, 2024

Contact

The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.

Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 18:00 (and beyond these times in some regions).

Call 115 now

Government service telephone number calls are charged at local rates.

You sold the dog,
the dog has gone missing,
the dog has died or
They are moving away from Hamburg.

The responsible authority sets the dog tax.

If you register or deregister your dog with the dog register, various documents will be required (see services “Dog ownership registration” and “Dog ownership deregistration”).

In the case of direct tax registration (by means of a tax return) with the responsible authority, no separate documents are usually required
If you want to deregister your dog using a tax return, you need

Proof that you no longer keep the dog in Hamburg and
if applicable, name and address of the new dog owner.

Preconditions

When you register your dog:

You are the owner of at least one dog.
You keep the dog or dogs in Hamburg.
The dog is at least 3 months old.

If you deregister your dog:

You are no longer the owner of the dog, for example because
- You have sold, given away or otherwise disposed of the dog,
- You have lost your dog or
- the dog has died.
You no longer keep the dog in Hamburg, for example because you have moved away from Hamburg.

Hints

In Hamburg, you are required to register your dog in the dog registry. Registration can be done in person at a Hamburg Service location, at a consumer protection office of your choice, or online. The data required for tax registration will then be automatically forwarded to the tax office responsible for dog tax (the Hamburg Tax Office for Traffic Tax & Real Estate), so no further declaration is usually necessary there.

If you register or deregister your dog directly with the relevant authority for tax purposes, you are still obliged to register or deregister it with the dog registry as well.

The dog tax is 90 euros per calendar year. The dog tax for dogs classified as dangerous is 600 euros per calendar year.

Under certain conditions, you can apply for a tax exemption, reduction, or waiver from the tax office for vehicle and property taxes (see: service "Dog Tax Reduction" or "Dog Tax Exemption"). This option is not available for dogs classified as dangerous.

If you, as the owner, fail to register your dog within the required timeframe, you are committing an administrative offense. This offense can be punished with a fine.
If you are no longer the owner of the registered dog, you must deregister it with the relevant authority within 2 weeks.

There are no costs or fees for tax registration or deregistration.

You can find out the fees for registration with the dog register from the district office or from the service description "Register a dog".

Basis for legal action

Section 13 of the Hamburg Law on Keeping and Handling Dogs (HundeG)
https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-NNLHH0000637CNN00000000028
Section 15 of the Hamburg Dog Tax Act (HuStG HA)
https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-NNLHH0000637DNN00000000039

Legal Remedies

Objection

Deadlines

Register the dog with the relevant authorities within 2 weeks of purchasing or importing it.
You must register puppies or young dogs no later than when they are 3 months old.
You must register stray or found dogs within 2 weeks, unless you have returned them to their owner or handed them over to the Lost and Found office within one week. If you hand the dog over to the person entitled to receive it or to the Lost and Found office within 2 weeks of the start of the tax liability, the tax will not be levied.
De-register the dog with the responsible authority within 2 weeks after you no longer keep it in Hamburg.

Processing time

The processing time depends on the administrative effort.

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