Higher CO2 price, higher sales tax: From the turn of the year, the federal government can expect a lot of additional revenue. According to the federal government, this amounts to around 7.2 billion euros. There is criticism of the measure from energy suppliers.
The changes at the turn of the year are, on the one hand, about a return to the usual sales tax rate in the catering industry. If the reduced sales tax that has been in effect since the Corona crisis remained at 9 percent instead of 17 percent over the turn of the year, public budgets would have to forgo a further 3.4 billion euros in tax revenue next year, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics’ response to a request from Bundestag member Sahra Wagenknecht emerges. It is available to the German Press Agency. The VAT reduction in the catering industry is scheduled to expire at the end of the year.
On the other hand, there is the tax rate for gas and district heating. If the usual VAT rate of 19 percent is applied again from January, instead of only in April as originally planned, this will bring in additional revenue of 2.5 billion euros.
In addition, according to the government’s response, an additional 1.3 billion euros will flow into the state treasury through the larger increase in CO2 prices for heating and refueling. At the turn of the year, the CO2 price is to rise from 30 to 40 euros instead of 35 euros per tonne as initially planned. The federal government initially discussed an increase to 45 euros.
The Federal Cabinet initiated the larger CO2 price increase in the summer with the Budget Financing Act, which is currently still being discussed in the Bundestag.
Lindner: “no new scope for distribution”
Given that gas prices have fallen again, she no longer believes it is necessary to continue the reduced tax rate for gas and district heating beyond the turn of the year. However, a corresponding regulation has not yet been decided here. According to a government spokeswoman, it will be included in the Growth Opportunities Act, which is currently being discussed in the Bundestag.
The Federal Association of the Energy and Water Industry (BDEW) demanded that the federal government not allow the reduced tax rate for gas and district heating to expire together with the energy price brakes until the end of March. It is important that politicians make “decisions that can be implemented in a timely manner” that do not overwhelm energy companies. It is important to avoid “chaotic conditions” like those that occurred when price caps were introduced at the end of last year.
The tax change in the catering industry could theoretically be changed through a new legal regulation. However, there have been no concrete plans for this recently. The FDP and the Federal Ministry of Finance had previously pointed out that the tax estimate had to be awaited first.
According to a forecast by tax estimators on Thursday, the state will only collect around 1.9 billion euros more in taxes next year than expected in the spring. This hardly means any relief for Finance Minister Christian Lindner’s budget. “There is no new scope for distribution,” emphasized Lindner.
