TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

283. What do you do if you receive an incorrect invoice from a German administrative authority?

Official German wording

Was tun Sie, wenn Sie eine falsche Rechnung von einer deutschen Behörde bekommen?

  1. Ich lasse die Rechnung liegen.
  2. Ich lege Widerspruch bei der Behörde ein.
  3. Ich schicke die Rechnung an die Behörde zurück.
  4. Ich gehe mit der Rechnung zum Finanzamt.

Answer options

  1. I ignore the invoice.
  2. I lodge a formal objection (Widerspruch) with the authority.
  3. I send the invoice back to the authority.
  4. I go to the tax office with the invoice.

Correct answer

I lodge a formal objection (Widerspruch) with the authority.

Explanation

The proper remedy against an incorrect fee or cost notice issued by an administrative authority is to lodge a formal objection (Widerspruch) within one month of notification pursuant to §§ 68 ff. VwGO; if the notice lacks proper information on legal remedies, the period extends to one year (§ 58(2) VwGO). This preliminary administrative review safeguards the constitutional guarantee of effective legal protection under Art. 19(4) of the Basic Law and embodies the rule-of-law principle in Art. 20(3). Simply returning or ignoring the bill does not annul it and may render it final and enforceable; the tax office is competent only for tax matters.

Official sources

The German questions come from the original BAMF catalog for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland. Translations and explanations are study aids; verify legal details in the official sources.