SPD leader proposes increasing the commuter allowance

Traffic light - SPD leader proposes increasing the commuter allowance

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has suggested an extension of the commuter allowance. "I am in favor of holding a debate about raising it and ensuring that the working population is relieved," he said in the Bild podcast "Ronzheimer". The budget compromise of the traffic light coalition is clear: "There are burdens for the working middle class. I'm not happy about that either."

Specifically, Klingbeil mentioned the expected rise in fuel prices. "That's why it's absolutely clear to me that the second half of the legislature, the second half of the traffic light coalition, must do one thing, namely focus on the working population." The SPD therefore wants to "think about raising the commuter allowance next year". However, the SPD leader did not want to commit to a specific amount. "I am not conducting the negotiations (...) here, but (...) with the coalition partners."

The commuter allowance is deducted when calculating income tax for the one-way distance between home and work. It amounts to 30 cents per kilometer, 38 cents from the 21st kilometer.

Read also:

• Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
• Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
• UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
• SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year

1. In Berlin, amidst the rising fuel prices, the SPD, led by Lars Klingbeil, is considering increasing the commuter allowance to aid the working population.
2. During the Bild podcast "Ronzheimer", Klingbeil, the German Traffic Light coalition's SPD leader, proposed extending the commuter allowance, which is deducted when calculating income tax for the one-way distance between home and work.
3. The SPD, in its effort to alleviate the burden on the working middle class, is contemplating a raise in the commuter allowance, which currently stands at 30 cents per kilometer for the first 20 kilometers and 38 cents thereafter.
4. As part of the Traffic Light coalition's budget compromise, Klingbeil emphasized the importance of focusing on the working population's needs in the second half of the legislature, a shift from the increased costs that the coalition acknowledges as burdensome.
5. With the support of its coalition partners, the SPD seeks to negotiate a potential increase in the commuter allowance for next year, aiming to provide additional financial relief to households in Germany.

Source: www.stern.de