Boris Rhein defends marriage splitting

Finances - Boris Rhein defends marriage splitting

Hessian CDU Chairman Boris Rhein speaks out against the planned tax reform that aims to abolish the controversial marriage splitting. "Marriage is rightfully given special protection by the Constitution," Hessian Minister-President told the German Press Agency in Wiesbaden.

"The Greens demonstrate once again with their plans to abolish tax advantages for married couples through marriage splitting, that they stand for a policy against the broad middle class in our country," Rhein emphasized. "We, as the Union, prioritize families and not push them to the sidelines. That's why we clearly oppose the abolition of marriage splitting." Such a step would be "a frontal attack on millions of families in our country," added Hessian CDU Chairman.

Various Family Models

Green Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus confirmed in "Bild" that "the farewell to the outdated instrument of marriage splitting is long overdue." This only benefits the classical marriage taxwise: "And that, even though diverse family models have long been part of our social reality." The FDP-led Federal Finance Ministry rejected Paus' statements: The splitting procedure remains in place.

The combined income of a couple is calculated and then halved for tax purposes. The resulting income tax is then doubled, with the tax benefit primarily going to couples where one earns significantly more than the other. This is justified by the special protection of marriage and family. With the draft of a second annual tax law in 2024, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) set the reform of tax classes in motion.

1. Boris Rhein, the CDU chairman of Hesse, criticized the proposed tax reform that intends to eliminate the contentious 'marriage splitting' system.
2. In an interview with the German Press Agency in Wiesbaden, Rhein argued that marriage has constitutional protection and abolishing 'marriage splitting' would adversely affect families.
3. He accused Alliance 90/The Greens of targeting the middle class with their plans to abolish tax benefits for married couples through 'marriage splitting'.
4. Hesse's minister-president emphasized that the CDU prioritizes families and opposes any measures that may push them to the margins, such as the abolition of 'marriage splitting'.
5. Despite Green Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus' assertion in "Bild" that 'marriage splitting' is outdated and benefits classical marriages, the Federal Finance Ministry, led by the FDP, maintains that the splitting procedure remains in place.
6. The proposed tax reform, which is part of the draft of a second annual tax law in 2024, aims to restructure tax classes, potentially affecting the 'marriage splitting' system in Germany.
7. The Rhine, a prominent river in Germany, divides the country from west to east, much like the debate on 'marriage splitting' and its impact on financial and societal structures within the nation.

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