Shortly before the deadline for the property tax return expires, resistance to the reform forms among tax experts and real estate owners. After the first lawsuits are already pending, the law should be put to the test.
An alliance of associations has positioned itself against the property tax reform in a joint declaration. “Notices to determine the property tax value should definitely be issued provisionally,” apparently says a letter from the Association of Taxpayers, the German Tax Union (DSTG), the German Association of Tax Advisors and the Association of House Owners
Property owners have until the end of January to submit their property tax returns – many millions still have to deliver. “A number of objections and lawsuits are already pending, which – due to constitutional concerns – are again directed against the calculation methods of the new property tax,” Reiner Holznagel, President of the Taxpayers’ Association, told the newspaper. The Federal Constitutional Court had called for a reform because the tax offices recently calculated the value of a property on the basis of completely outdated data.
The declared goal of the alliance is to prevent a wave of objections and thus provide all owners with security and relieve the financial administration and tax consultants. Florian Köbler, head of the tax union DSTG, warned of the consequences of the reform. “Both the financial administration and the tax consultants are already at their limit because of the property tax reform and the federal government’s relief packages.” It is to be feared that the processing times for income tax returns will increase and taxpayers will have to wait longer for the tax refund.