Dusseldorf (dpa / lnw) – In view of the real estate tax reform, the German Tax Union of North Rhine-Westphalia is permanently demanding 300 additional employees in the state’s financial administration. “It’s burning brightly right now,” said Deputy State Chairman Marc Kleischmann of the dpa. According to his description, employees from other departments who have nothing to do with property tax are currently being withdrawn and retrained for advice on the hotline. The need for advice was completely underestimated. Also with a view to the processing and the personnel situation, 300 additional employees are permanently needed. The Tax Union represents the interests of tax administration staff.
Already with the start of the process on July 1, “avalanche” requests were received. “Colleagues here make bloody calls on the phone from morning to night,” said Kleischmann, describing the onslaught of people seeking help in recent weeks. Many of those who were contacted vented their displeasure. “The resentment that ends up among the colleagues is great, although it’s not their fault,” stressed Kleischmann.
The union is asking for understanding if callers to the hotline do not get through immediately or if things are incomprehensible. After the end of the holiday, the next big wave of inquiries about the requested explanations threatens when many holidaymakers are back.
The NRW Ministry of Finance had announced that the total number of employees on the land tax hotline of the tax authorities would be increased by up to 200 to a maximum of 500. In addition, the technical capacities have been more than doubled. There is a lot of information and explanations on the Internet at https://www.finanzverwaltung.nrw.de/Grundsteuerreform.
