Christian Lindner rejects the demands of the federal states for more financial aid when taking in refugees. Instead, one must ensure that “unregulated migration is slowed down,” he says. When it comes to income tax, the FDP leader is in favor of an adjustment to inflation.
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has rejected demands from the federal states and local authorities for more money to take in refugees. “A further shifting of the burden to the federal government is now reaching its limits,” the politician told the newspapers of the Funke media group. “I see the task of the federal government there more to improve the repatriation of people without a right of residence and to slow down unregulated migration.”
The benefits for the “570,000 people who came to us from Ukraine and are covered by basic security are already being funded by the federal government,” explained Lindner accordingly. The number of arrivals from other countries is at the same level as in 2014. “Back then, the federal government didn’t even co-finance this state task. Today it bears a considerable part,” said the finance minister.
The municipalities warn that in many places the limits of capacity have been reached, they are demanding more help from the federal government. At a federal, state and local refugee summit this month, it was decided that the federal government would provide an additional 56 properties for accommodating refugees, in which 4,000 people could be accommodated. However, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities saw a great need for further discussion after the summit meeting and demanded that the costs incurred be taken over in full.
On the subject of income tax, Lindner again spoke out in favor of an automatic adjustment to the inflation rate. “If social benefits such as the standard rate for basic security are automatically adjusted to inflation, then working people must also receive automatic compensation,” he told the Funke media group.
“We need a tariff on wheels.” It is currently the case that the income tax rate is adjusted to inflation every two years. “It has to be decided politically every time. I would like to change the law so that the tax rate is automatically adjusted to the inflation rate.”
So far, high inflation without political intervention has led to so-called cold progression: Despite falling purchasing power, the same taxes have to be paid, so the relative tax burden on citizens is increasing. The cabinet has already launched plans for the coming year to cushion this effect. Among other things, the basic tax-free allowance is to be increased for this purpose.
