alekth on 31 March 2009
In Germany there is church tax, though I'm not entirely sure how obligatory it is and how formal it is to opt out of it.
When I lived there I just wrote "none" for the church I belong to on my tax form since that's what I consider myself anyway and I never gave it much thought. It was probably illegal in a way because on paper somewhere I'm still catholic (still not sure whether that applies when you're not a German citizen).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_tax
The church tax is only paid by members of the respective church. People who are not member of a church tax-collecting denomination do not have to pay it. Members of a religious community under public law may formally declare their wish to leave the community to state (not religious) authorities. With such a declaration, the obligation to pay church taxes ends. Some communities refuse to administer marriages and burials of (former) members who had declared to leave it.
I can't quite figure out whether this is already an existing way to opt out of the church in Germany, or something purely tax-related.
PS. I have long lost my certificate from the church and I don't care enough for them to remove myself as long as there is nothing about my name existing there that bothers me. Though if it were just some webpage where I fill out a form and click, I'd do it.
