The real estate transfer tax accounts for up to 6.5 percent of the purchase price. The savings bank president wants to abolish them completely.
Finance Minister Christian Lindner has appealed to the federal states to ensure a lower tax burden when buying real estate. “If it’s up to me, the real estate transfer tax in the federal states should be reduced to zero,” the FDP politician told the German Press Agency on Tuesday. “I wanted to create the necessary legal leeway for the federal states last year, but unfortunately the offer has not yet been accepted.”
Anyone who wants to build a single-family house or buy an apartment today already has to deal with high interest rates and increased construction costs. However, Lindner argued that owner-occupied living space must remain affordable for the broad middle of society.
The Ministry of Finance had proposed making the real estate transfer tax more flexible with a tax exemption, among other things. In addition, the federal states should be able to create reduced tax rates for owner-occupied housing. However, such a regulation requires the approval of the Federal Council, which, according to information from ministry circles, is currently being refused by most federal states. The real estate transfer tax is one of the state taxes, so the revenue goes to the states. It accounts for up to 6.5 percent of the purchase price.
Savings Bank President Helmut Schleweis had proposed on Tuesday a complete abolition of the real estate transfer tax on owner-occupied residential property.
Source: Stern
