Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft
Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft is a compound word that serves as an example of the virtually unlimited compounding of nouns that is possible in many Germanic languages. According to the 1996 "Guinness Book of World Records", it is the longest word published in the German language.
Taxation in Germany
Taxes in Germany are levied by the federal government ("Bund"), the states ("Länder") as well as the municipalities ("Städte/Gemeinden"). Many direct and indirect taxes exist in Germany; income tax and VAT are the most significant. The German word for tax is "die Steuer" which originates from the Old High German word "stiura" meaning "help". The Financial Secrecy Index ranks Germany as the 8th safest tax haven in the world, ahead of Jersey but behind Lebanon.