You must report your visitor and sales figures online to the German Federal Film Board in order to calculate the film tax.

If you open or operate a movie theater with screens (indoors):

• Register on the Film Levy online portal of the German Federal Film Board. You must provide the following information when registering:
  • Location where you operate your movie theater
  • Name of the operator
  • Contact person
  • Name of your cinema
  • Name of the screens
  • Number of screens
  • Number of seats per screen and
  • Opening date of your cinema.
• After registration, the FFA will send you by post
  • Your operator and screen number(s) and
  • your password for the online portal.
• Use your operator number (user number) and password to log in to the online portal Filmabgabe and use it to submit your monthly sales and visitor figures to the FFA. You can report these figures as follows:
  • electronically via file or via interface directly from your box office system or
  • by manual entry directly in the online portal if you do not have an electronic box office system.
• The FFA will process your notification and send you the notification of the film tax due by post on a regular basis.
• Payment for screens subject to the levy is due in parallel with the notification on the 10th of the following month. Issue the FFA with a SEPA direct debit mandate or pay your film tax by bank transfer.

If you open or operate a seasonal cinema, such as an open-air or drive-in cinema (outdoors)

• You must first apply in writing or by e-mail to the Association of Film Distributors (VdF) for open-air status without stating the operator and screen number. You must provide the following information:
  • Location where you operate your cinema
  • Operator of the cinema (who gets the money)
  • Contact person
  • Name of the cinema
  • Name of the screen
  • Number of seats per screen and
  • Opening and closing date of your screen (from when to when do you operate your seasonal cinema?).
• You must also provide this information to the German Federal Film Board by e-mail or post.
• The FFA will send you by e-mail
  • Your operator and screen number/s and
  • your password for the online portal.
• Use your operator number (user number) and your password to log in to the online portal Filmabgabe and use it to submit your monthly sales and visitor figures to the FFA. You can report these figures as follows:
  • electronically via file or via interface directly from your box office system or
  • by manual entry directly in the online portal if you do not have an electronic box office system.
• The FFA will process your notification and send you the notification of the film tax due by post on a regular basis.
• Payment for screens subject to the levy is due at the same time as the notification on the 10th of the following month. Issue the FFA with a SEPA direct debit mandate or pay your film fee by bank transfer.