Streit um Entlastungen: Union attackiert Klingbeils Steuerpläne

Kollegienfinanzminister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) is pushing forward the agreed-upon reform of the income tax, but is facing harsh criticism from the Union. Several CDU and CSU politicians criticized the SPD leader, claiming he broke his word on promised reliefs. The issue at hand is how much citizens will save in taxes. Both Union and SPD had agreed to reduce the income tax through an increased basic exemption, more child benefits, a higher employee surcharge, and a later application of the top tax rate.

The reform is expected to yield a total of about 10 billion euros in tax relief per year, starting from 2028. However, Union candidate Daniel Peters from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern feels deceived, claiming the relief will be significantly lower than promised. The Finance Ministry refuted this, stating that the coalition agreement will be strictly adhered to.

The upcoming discussion on the cold progression, which is currently not planned, will add another layer to the tax burden. FDP leader Wolfgang Kubicki criticized the government for breaking the last promise if the cold progression is not compensated. Tax expert Doris Achelwilm expressed disappointment, stating that without compensation for the cold progression, it would be a tax increase in disguise, redistributing wealth upwards.

Some are also concerned about the planned reduction of tax-free allowances for tax-priority organizations, which could affect various types of organizations, especially those with economic interests.