Some laws came into force on April 1st - the federal government also passed emergency regulations due to the Corona crisis. The most important innovations.
- Since April 1st there are some new regulations and laws.
- There are also measures to deal with the Corona crisis. For restaurants in restaurants, VAT will be reduced from July.
- Here is an overview of what changes financially for consumers.
Update of May 29: 7 percent VAT for food in restaurants
The VAT on food in the catering trade is temporarily reduced from 19 to 7 percent . This is intended to support restaurants that have suffered major drops in sales due to the corona pandemic. The tax cut will apply from July and is limited to one year , as reported by the German Press Agency.
It remains to be seen whether and how this will affect the wallet. The reduced VAT for on-site consumption to 7 percent does not mean that restaurant prices for consumers will drop, said Dehoga President Guido Zöllick in the "Tagesspiegel". However, the measure helps to "at least compensate a little for the losses and additional costs".
The criticism from hosts : pubs, bars and clubs would be forgotten - because the VAT on drinks should not be reduced .
Many new rules for consumers
Attention consumers : Since April 1, 2020 * there have been some innovations . As of April 1, some of the laws that were changed as planned now came into force. In addition, there were some emergency regulations that the federal government decided on short notice because of the corona crisis *. Here is an overview of what changes financially for consumers:
Rental brake, owner loan, day care contribution
Rental price brake: The rental price brake extended until 2025 comes into force. Where it applies, a landlord can usually charge a maximum of ten percent more than the standard local rent when changing residents. For the first time, tenants can subsequently claim back excess rent - for up to two and a half years.
Homeowner loan : "Anyone who took out a consumer loan to finance residential property before March 15, 2020 can suspend the installment payments for three months," says a report on zdf.de on the new regulations. This applies to both interest, repayment and repayments that are due between April 1 and June 30, 2020. The prerequisite is that the owner has to prove that he has lost income due to the corona crisis and that the mortgaging of the loan jeopardizes his livelihood.
Child allowance : Parents with loss of earnings should also get help in the Corona crisis . "If the money is not sufficient for maintenance, families can apply for a child supplement. The calculation basis for this supplement should be significantly reduced," writes zdf.de. "Assets should not be taken into account for a limited period of time."
Childcare contributions : According to the report, at least in some federal states such as North Rhine-Westphalia, childcare contributions in daycare centers are no longer applicable. There are similar regulations in Saxony and Thuringia as well as in parts of Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt.
Read here : Corona aid from the state - who is entitled to what - and from whom?
Hartz IV, Bafög, plane tickets
Hartz IV : In the next six months, applications for Hartz IV will not be subject to property and housing costs. Applicants no longer have to appear in person at the job center - they can also submit applications online or by phone.
Bafög : According to the report, new rules apply to Bafög repayers: "In the future, instead of the previous maximum of EUR 105 per month (with a maximum repayment amount of EUR 10,000), you will now pay a maximum of EUR 130 per month for a maximum of 77 months (with a maximum repayment amount of 10,010 euros). "
Plane tickets : Even though air traffic has been lost due to the corona pandemic , plane tickets could still be more expensive, writes zdf.de. "For domestic flights and flights in the EU, the tax rate for airlines increases from EUR 7.50 to EUR 13.03 per ticket sold, from EUR 23.43 to EUR 33.01 for longer flights of up to 6,000 kilometers and from long-haul flights 42.18 euros to 59.43 euros. This regulation is part of the climate package decided by the black and red federal government. "
Also interesting : Tax return 2020 - You should now claim these special expenses.
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* merkur.de is part of the nationwide central Ippen editorial network.
