Dog tax in Lower Saxony: This is how much dog owners will pay in 2025!

Dog tax in Lower Saxony: This is how much dog owners will pay in 2025!

The dog is man's best friend - but that doesn't stop many municipalities from hitting the dog tax heavily. On the occasion of World Dog Day on October 10th, the Taxpayers' Association published a comprehensive analysis of dog tax rates in Lower Saxony, which provides interesting insights into the financial burden on dog owners. Loud NDR The average dog tax in the state was an impressive 52 euros per year in 2025.

But what about the extreme values? The cheapest dog tax can be found in the municipality of Lindern and in five member municipalities of the Schüttorf municipality: here, dog owners pay just 15 euros annually. On the other side of the spectrum, the town of Seelze, near Hanover, charges the highest cost for the first dog at 158 ​​euros. The cities of Hanover and Hildesheim are also not exactly cheap at 150 euros per year, followed by Göttingen and Wunstorf, where the tax is 132 euros.

The cost of multiple dogs

Owners of several dogs should be prepared for hefty surcharges. The average tax rate for the second dog is 84 euros, while for a third dog you have to pay 116 euros. In practice, this tax burden can quickly grow into a small fortune: Dog owners in Hanover have to pay up to 700 euros for three dogs, while in Lindern they only have to pay 70 euros. It's pretty crazy when you consider that all cities and municipalities in Lower Saxony levy a dog tax and the amount can vary greatly.

Tax rates for dangerous dogs

The tax rates for “dangerous” dogs that are levied by municipalities are particularly impressive. In extreme cases, these can cost up to 2,400 euros. What is considered “dangerous” is often based on the behavior of the animal and the general classification of certain breeds. However, some exceptions apply to guide dogs, assistance dogs and herding dogs. In Lower Saxony there is no uniform breed list that regulates such classifications. The Taxpayers' Association points out that 763 municipalities already impose a higher tax rate on these "dangerous" dogs.

Discounts and tax breaks

On the other hand, there is also encouraging news: several municipalities offer reductions or even exemptions from dog taxes for charitable purposes. This particularly affects dogs that come from animal shelters. In addition, many communities have special tax discounts for people who receive social benefits - a ray of hope for economically weaker dog owners. In the future, a tax exemption for dogs from animal shelters will apply from June 2025, which should already please many animal lovers in Lower Saxony.

The dog tax is therefore not just a simple tax, but also reflects the different financial possibilities of the respective communities. Regardless of the intended use, the income is paid in full into the municipal coffers, which has already resulted in a total of 45 million euros in 2023. This means that the dog tax only accounts for 0.39 percent of total local tax revenue, according to the analysis Taxpayers' Association.

The history of dog tax in Germany goes back to 1807, when it was first introduced in Offenbach am Main. In Lower Saxony, tax rates for dogs are part of local tax law, which means that each city and municipality can decide for itself how much dog owners have to pay.

All in all, it remains to be said: Dogs make many people happy, but they also cost money - and not too little. One wonders whether abolishing the dog tax, as has already happened in some countries such as France, Great Britain and Italy, would not also make sense in Germany. But that is probably another chapter.