The German Television Tax
If you live in a German apartment building you may have already received a letter some time after moving in, "shaking you down" for 17.50 Euro a month from the Rundfunkbeitrag Beitragsservice. In Germany, public access TV and radio stations are funded by the Rundfunkbeitrag, or public broadcasting contribution, resulting in substantially more programming being made available over public access TV than is typical in the U.S.. But if you're only living here for a short time, or don't have a TV or radio, do you still have to pay the fee? ....Yes, yes you do.
In Germany, the Rundfunktbeitrag is considered something which "comes with the apartment," meaning that if you live in a joint apartment of some kind (including student dorms and private apartments) or live alone, you are on the hook to pay the fee. The good news is that if you are living with other people, the fee is not per person, but instead is to be split amongst the people living in the flat (though one person is the designated contact person to pay the fee to the Beitragsservice itself).
There are some exceptions to who needs to pay the fee (i.e. to people receiving money from public assistance programs), but for people studying abroad in Germany or working over here, there isn't an exception made (being a foreigner or short term student doesn't count!). Additionally, unlike in the U.K., there are no exceptions made for not having a T.V. or radio that is set up to receive the programming.
To register to pay the Rundfunkbeitrag, you can check out the Beitragsservice site. Unfortunately it's all in German, so those whose German is a little rusty may want to either make liberal use of Google website translate or get a German friend to help them out (tip: you want the "Wohnen anmelden" link on the front page of the website).
Don't forget however, when you are getting ready to leave Germany, just as you have to deregister with the city that you are living in, you also need to deregister from the Rundfunkbeitrag if you are leaving Germany, or notify them that you have moved if you are moving into a new apartment or house. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a position of not paying the fee that you are required to, or being on the hook for a fee in an apartment that you no longer live in.
For what it's worth, if you are living in Germany long enough to make having a T.V. worthwhile, or cough up a few Euros for a cheap radio if you don't already have one, I'd recommend doing so. If you are learning German, want to keep up your language comprehension, stay up to date with the German news, or really just need something to do to unwind after a day cooped up in a lecture hall or office, it's worth it. The little differences between how German T.V. and American T.V. channels operate are fascinating to see as an outsider (the number of ads being next to none is an interesting place to start!), and provide a different window into learning about German everyday life. Put that broadcasting money to work!