As of: January 22, 2024, 2:30 p.m
By: Sandra Kathe
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In state financial equalization, billions are redistributed every year in order to improve the situation of financially weak countries.
But how many actually pay in?
Munich/Berlin – So that the financially weak federal states in Germany can fulfill their tasks, billions of euros in tax revenue are redistributed every year in the state financial equalization system.
Now a template from the Federal Ministry of Finance reveals details about last year's figures.
Accordingly, only a few federal states paid in the state financial equalization in 2023, while more than twice as many benefited.
The paper shows that only five of the 16 German federal states paid into the pot for the state financial equalization, in which around 18.3 billion euros were redistributed in 2023.
According to information from the Ministry of Finance, the eleven recipient countries received between 357 million and 3.8 billion euros.
The aim of the measure enshrined in the Basic Law is to bring living conditions in Germany to the same standard nationwide, even if individual countries offer better or worse conditions for this.
Depositors and beneficiaries of the state financial equalization: 9.1 billion euros paid in
Last year, Bavaria's share of the state financial equalization was around half - even if the total amount that Bavaria had to pay fell noticeably for the first time in years, as the
German Press Agency
reports.
The Free State nevertheless paid around 9.1 billion euros into the compensation pot, which is calculated using a fixed formula, for example from the sales tax collected.
Bavaria's Finance Minister Albert Füracker still believes that Bavaria's share in the state financial equalization is too high.
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
This was followed by other single-payer states: Baden-Württemberg with around 4.5 billion euros, Hesse with 3.4 billion euros, Hamburg with 934 million euros and Rhineland-Palatinate with 320 million euros.
On the other hand, Berlin (around 3.8 billion euros) and Saxony (3.4 billion euros) received the most money, followed by Thuringia (1.9 billion euros) and Saxony-Anhalt (1.8 billion euros).
Federal State |
Share in state financial equalization |
|---|---|
Bavaria |
9.130 billion euros deposited |
Baden-Württemberg |
4.495 billion euros deposited |
Hesse |
3.444 billion euros deposited |
Hamburg |
934 million euros deposited |
Rhineland-Palatinate |
320 million euros deposited |
Schleswig-Holstein |
Received 357 million euros |
Saarland |
Received 587 million euros |
Bremen |
Received 771 million euros |
North Rhine-Westphalia |
received 1.212 billion euros |
Brandenburg |
1.423 billion euros received |
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania |
1.431 billion euros received |
Lower Saxony |
received 1.568 billion euros |
Saxony-Anhalt |
received 1.839 billion euros |
Thuringia |
received 1.933 billion euros |
Saxony |
received 3.398 billion euros |
Berlin |
received 3.805 billion euros |
Criticism of the federal financial equalization: Bavaria calls for new regulations with a constitutional complaint
The first reactions from the single-payer states express the usual criticism of the instrument, which has repeatedly caused trouble between the federal states for years.
Michael Boddenberg (CDU), Finance Minister in Hesse, which has the highest per capita share of the financial equalization pot after Bavaria, said that Hesse had a total deposit amount of around 61 billion euros over the past 29 years.
Despite all the solidarity, this also means a significant burden on Hesse's state budget.
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In Bavaria, criticism of the equalization pot goes so far that the state filed a lawsuit against the state financial equalization with the Federal Constitutional Court in July 2023.
In it, the Free State called for a new regulation because for years the greatest burden from the equalization system has been in Bavaria.
Bavaria's Finance Minister Albert Füracker (CSU) commented on the slightly lower Bavarian share compared to the previous year (around 9.9 billion euros) in an interview with the
German Press Agency
: “Even if the compensation share to be borne by Bavaria compared to the previous year according to initial estimates If something goes down, it will still be high – too high.”
The Federal Constitutional Court has not yet made a decision on Bavaria's lawsuit.
(saka with dpa)