Inheritance tax: Jens Spahn expresses unusually critical

The willingness of Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) to draw political consequences from the unequal distribution of assets in Germany has come across a positive response in his own government camp. SPD general secretary Tim Klüssendorf told the “Rheinische Post”: “We have extreme injustice in Germany in terms of the distribution of assets. Every year, 400 billion euros are inherited in this country, of which only a very small part is taxable.

The chairman of the Christian Democratic Working (CDA), Dennis Radtke, told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ): “Every year, billions of inheritance tax are given away because there are exceptional stocks that they can no longer explain to normal earners. Therefore we should not change the sentences but even delete unjustified exceptions.” Spahn had pointed out that a judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court on inheritance tax was expected and the coalition would then possibly regulate the tax.

With the parliamentary group leader, a conservative top politician had granted a privilege of wealthy people for the first time. “If you already had,” said the CDU politician in the ZDF talk show “Maybrit Illner”. “In recent years, especially in the low interest rate phase, we have had the situation that assets have actually almost grown on its own without greater our own intervention. Real estate values, stock values ​​and more.” Spahn added: “It is a problem, the distribution of assets.”

The focus of the discussion is currently the inheritance tax, in which changes are easier to implement than the reintroduction of a wealth tax. Criticism came from the FDP, which was no longer represented in the Bundestag. Secretary General Nicole Büttner said: “An increase in inheritance tax would not only tighten the problems of our competitiveness, she also collected the successes of the company and thus strain the next generation at jobs.” Spahn’s willingness to increase such tax increases reveals “the complete cancellation of the announced change of policy”.

Klüssendorf emphasized that a reform of inheritance tax is not – as claimed by the political opponent – about the simple family home. “Then it quickly says from a conservative side, we would go to the inherited house of grandma. This is nonsense. It is expressly not about the social center,” said the SPD politician of the “Rheinische Post”. It would only be fair if billionaires assumed responsibility and contributed to the costs for the community. “The fact that Jens Spahn also argues in this direction gives me hope that we can get something together for more tax justice in this country.”

The CDA chairman Radtke spoke in the NOZ against a flat-rate increase in top tax rates to income, which is sometimes debated. “In the meantime, many skilled workers in industry are already paying the top tax rate and not the super rich.” Alternative models “with relief for the middle and moderate raising for top earners” would have to be developed.