The CSU is furious and Bavaria’s Prime Minister Söder even threatens the Federal Constitutional Court. Otherwise nobody in the country seems to be bothered by the tax reform.
Berlin (dpa / lby) – Bavaria is isolated with its criticism of the amendment to the inheritance tax among the federal states. In a survey of the Finance Committee of the Bundesrat, 15 states voted against the Free State’s proposal to call the Mediation Committee to vote on the annual tax law. Only Bavaria itself voted yes, as can be seen from an internal voting protocol of the finance committee of the state chamber of December 6th, which is available to the German Press Agency in Munich.
In the application, Bavaria had campaigned for a regionalization of inheritance tax and an increase in allowances “within the immediate family” for owner-occupied residential property.
Last Friday, the Bundestag passed the annual tax law with extensive tax changes. A transfer of real estate assets through inheritance and donations could therefore become more expensive. The Bundesrat still has to give its final approval to the law.
Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) has meanwhile announced that his government is also examining a lawsuit before the Federal Constitutional Court against the planned increase in inheritance tax. It is not fair to compare property prices in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and in Greifswald. “We need higher allowances for heirs to parental homes or apartments,” said the CSU boss in the “Bild”.
“Söder and the CSU are completely isolated in Germany on this issue. Not even the countries with which he wants to hold his own South Prime Ministers’ Conference, i.e. Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, have voted for the application,” says SPD state leader Florian von well. “I find it particularly embarrassing that Mr. Söder is now continuing his political game despite this crushing defeat and is threatening a constitutional lawsuit.”
Söder’s threat is completely absurd, emphasized von Brunn. Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) is implementing the judgments of the Federal Constitutional Court on inheritance tax and is building on the preliminary work of the grand coalition with the amendment. “If we take the very high fortunes and inheritances more responsible for the common good, then we could also talk about increasing the allowances,” said von Brunn.
FDP parliamentary group leader Martin Hagen accused Söder of Fake News of making himself “ridiculous with an unfounded constitutional complaint”. “The fact is: there is no increase in inheritance tax. What does Söder want to sue against? Against the real estate valuation regulation, which was passed by the grand coalition in 2021 and whose originator (ex-CSU federal interior minister) is Horst Seehofer?” Hagen said. “If Söder wants to embarrass himself with a trip to Karlsruhe: go ahead.”
