Ukraine war and Corona: Soli comeback "for 80 percent" inevitable?
- FDP reacts critically
Created: 04/12/2022, 13:15
By: Linus Prien
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr © IMAGO/Christian Spicker
Ukraine war, consequences of the pandemic: Germany faces “Herculean tasks”.
Calls for a comeback of the solo are getting louder.
The FDP faction leader reacted critically.
Berlin - The German tax union expects a new edition of the solidarity surcharge because of the immense costs caused by the corona virus and the escalated Ukraine conflict.
"The financial burden on the federal government is increasing rapidly every day due to all the crises," union chairman Thomas Eigenthaler told the
Stuttgarter Zeitung
and the
Stuttgarter Nachrichten
on Tuesday.
From his point of view, these costs “cannot be met without a solidarity update”.
Ukraine war and Corona: Soli needed for "about 80 percent of taxpayers"?
Since 1995, the so-called soli has been levied to bear the costs of German unity.
Most recently, it was 5.5 percent of income and corporation tax.
Last year, the surcharge was abolished for around 90 percent of citizens.
In the end, politicians will not be able to keep up with the fact that only a few taxpayers provide additional financial solidarity, said Eigenthaler.
He therefore predicts that the federal government will “sooner or later ask around 80 percent of taxpayers to pay again”.
Solidarity surcharge: Germany before "Herculean tasks" - the FDP warns
Moritz Kraemer, chief economist at Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW), also campaigned for the reintroduction of the solidarity surcharge.
Most recently, after German reunification, the country had such “Herculean tasks” ahead of it, Kraemer told the dpa, referring to the Ukraine war and climate change.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr replied that he did not believe in tax increase debates.
Dürr said: “Especially in the conflict with Russia, our geopolitical strength is our economic strength.
Right now, we shouldn't weaken them with additional burdens on private households and medium-sized companies."
(dpa/lp)
