It's not just gas companies that benefit: how the state could cash in heavily with the energy crisis
Created: 08/06/2022, 16:57
By: Momir Takac
Gas and energy crisis in Germany: will there be no taxes on gas?
(Iconic image) © Martin Schutt/dpa
Many households in Germany are trembling because of the impending explosion in gas prices.
The energy crisis brings the state additional income in the billions.
Berlin - In view of the energy crisis provoked by Russia, private households in Germany are already paying significantly higher prices.
From autumn, the amount will rise again sharply.
The Federal Cabinet approved the gas surcharge, which means that gas importers such as Uniper and RWE can pass on the vast majority of their high additional costs from October.
Energy crisis is proving to be a gold mine for the state
The gas levy, which according to Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck could be between 1.5 and five cents per kilowatt hour - the exact amount is to be announced on August 15 - private households are threatened with additional costs of up to 2000 euros a year.
It is still being discussed whether value added tax will also be levied on the gas surcharge.
The government wants to avoid that, Habeck told the
Tagesspiegel
.
In any case, in addition to the corporations, the federal government is making plenty of money from the energy crisis.
In an analysis, the consumer portal Verivox calculated that households will pay more than 3.6 billion euros in additional VAT to the tax authorities in 2022 than in 2021. Der
Spiegel
reported on this.
Possible VAT on the gas levy could bring in another three billion euros for the state
The calculation basis was the average value of 6.56 cents for a kilowatt hour of gas last year.
This results in VAT of 3.3 billion euros.
Assuming that customers need the same amount of gas this year as in 2021, a total of 6.9 billion euros would flow into the state coffers.
If the traffic light coalition decides to add value added tax to the gas levy that will apply from October, up to another 2.9 billion euros could go into the federal budget.
An expert attests the Söder government in Bavaria central errors in the energy supply.
(mt)
