The state should manage taxpayers’ money carefully. But he doesn’t always do it. The Taxpayers’ Association highlights strange and absurd cases of tax waste.
Despite tight budgets, the state continues to waste millions of euros in tax money, according to the Taxpayers’ Association. The association in Berlin criticized that excessive bureaucracy also causes high costs. “Year after year, billions of euros of tax money seep away through the rampant bureaucracy, often with only questionable benefits or even real economic damage,” says the new Black Book 2024/25. With 100 examples from municipalities as well as the state and federal levels, the association highlights for the 52nd time where, in its opinion, public money is being wasted.
“We have to realize again and again that common sense is often replaced by bureaucratic rules,” complained club president Reiner Holznagel at the presentation of the book. As an example, he cited a case from Biedenkopf in central Hesse: “There, a diving tower in an outdoor swimming pool is torn down after 30 years, because the pool underneath is five centimeters too shallow.” However, no accident has occurred for decades, complains the taxpayers’ association.
Reducing bureaucracy against tax waste
In order to reduce bureaucracy, Holznagel called on politicians: “Have more courage to delete nonsense, change or rethink structures.” He told the German Press Agency that the “one-in-one-out” rule that has been in effect since 2015 is not enough. This stipulates that for every legally introduced burden on the economy, at least an equal amount of relief must be brought about by the end of the legislative period at the latest. Taxpayers’ Association Waste Paus 15.26
The Taxpayers’ Association is calling for a tightening: a “one-in-two-out” rule. “That means whoever creates a new bureaucratic regulation has to abolish two others so that it finally becomes less and people have more freedom,” explained Holznagel.
In addition to the focus chapter on bureaucracy, the association also takes a close look at, among other things, the costs of “bridges, roads and traffic” as well as the bizarre use of public money.
Source: Stern
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