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Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP)
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Kay Nietfeld / dpa
It is a perennial favorite of the FDP: the abolition of the solo.
Now Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner (FDP) has again advocated reducing the tax burden for citizens and companies in this way.
"For example, the abolition of the so-called solidarity surcharge would quickly improve our country's competitiveness," said the head of the FDP to the dpa news agency.
Lindner has his eye on high earners in particular: the solos have already been abolished for most taxpayers, but the ten percent with the highest incomes are currently continuing to pay them.
His view on the subject has not changed - but at the same time the FDP is aware that the coalition partners SPD and Greens are more in favor of higher taxes, said Lindner.
“Nevertheless, I will continue to campaign for the SPD and Greens to open up to new thinking.” The difficult economic situation requires new answers.
"A growth package for more dynamics in the economy would also be advisable in the interest of the coalition's re-election chances," emphasized the finance minister.
Experts from Lindner's ministry had recently submitted proposals on how Germany's competitiveness could be strengthened - and also brought a reduction in income tax into play.
This was met with little approval, especially by the Greens.
In an interview with "Bild am Sonntag", Lindner then distanced himself from tax cut plans.
"As long as there is no new thinking among the coalition partners, I'll concentrate on what can be achieved," he had said.
The solos were originally planned in 1991 as a one-off charge parallel to income tax, among other things to shoulder the costs of German reunification.
But the tax became a permanent levy and has now been in effect for three decades.
Since 2021, however, it has only been levied on higher earners.
mrc/dpa
