Munich asks tourists to pay with a new tax: "Appropriate to burden guests"
Created: 11/21/2022, 8:17 p.m
By: Sascha Karowski, Klaus Vick
Never before have there been so many tourists in our city as in the past year.
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Munich wants to introduce a tourist tax.
A tax of five percent on the overnight price in hotels is planned.
The decision is expected to be taken by City Council next week.
Munich - Every traveler knows it: there are tourist taxes or bed taxes in many places at home and abroad.
In 2010, Munich had already attempted a special fee of EUR 2.50.
However, the Bavarian Administrative Court (VGH) declared the statutes to be illegal in 2012.
It was said to run counter to the principle of tax breaks for hotels.
At that time, the sales tax for overnight stays was reduced from 19 to seven percent.
Munich grabs tourists in their pockets: Kämmerer considers overnight tax to be a legitimate source of income
In the meantime, the situation has changed.
The constitutional court considers a municipal bed tax to be compatible with the Basic Law.
The verdict is from this year.
In Berlin, for example, five percent of the overnight price is charged.
Munich is now planning a similar model, which, according to a proposal from the city treasury, should not take effect until September 1, 2023.
According to the administration, a newly introduced expenditure tax requires reliably planned preparation in legal, IT and personnel terms.
Chamberlain Christoph Frey (SPD) considers the overnight tax to be a legitimate source of income.
It is appropriate "to burden the guests in our city with a relatively low amount for the individual".
With its cultural facilities and attractive infrastructure, Munich is a magnet for tourists.
After the Corona crisis, the number of overnight stays reached record highs again this summer.
Frey also points out that due to the tense financial situation, all departments have been asked to save.
The city council had therefore recently increased the tax on second homes at the suggestion of the chamberlain.
Munich grabs tourists in their pockets: Kämmerer hopes for income of 40 to 60 million euros
Normal hotels, guesthouses and campsites are affected by the bed tax, but also private individuals who offer accommodation via mediation platforms.
In practice, the guest pays the separate tax, which the hotelier should then transfer to the city via online tax registration.
Frey expects annual income of between 40 and 60 million euros.
In the pre-Corona year 2019, for example, there were more than 18 million overnight stays in Munich.
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The green-red town hall government wants to agree to the administration's proposal.
The financial policy spokesman for the SPD, Christian Köning, says: “There is already an overnight stay tax in many other cities.
With the income, we want to maintain and expand our city's high level of commitment to promoting tourism, attractive cultural offerings and major events."
