Real estate is taxed at comparatively low rates in Germany, with primarily the affluent benefiting from numerous existing tax privileges. This Weekly Report describes the current state of real estate taxation in Germany and outlines reform proposals that could increase tax revenue, improve the...

German Abstract Wenn hohe Vermögen stärker besteuert werden sollen, spricht vieles für eine effektivere Erbschaftsteuer. Dazu sollten die weitgehenden Steuerbefreiungen für Unternehmensübertragungen und weitere Steuervergünstigungen beseitigt werden. Dadurch ließe sich auch bei moderaten...

The local business tax as the main revenue source of local governments in Germany has been under extensive debate for decades. Proposals for reform range from a broad tax base in the sense of an origin-based value-added tax to a pure profit tax that could be implemented as a surcharge on...

The idea of higher wealth taxes to finance the mounting public debt in the wake of the financial crises is gaining ground in several OECD countries. We evaluate the revenue and distributional effects of a one-time capital levy on personal net wealth that is currently on the German political...