Tax refunds - Tax refunds amount to over two billion
With over two billion Euro, tax arrears in Hamburg have reached a new all-time high. According to the Senate's response to a written minor inquiry from the Links fraction in the legislature, the total arrears amounted to 2.16 billion Euro at the end of June. This represents approximately 330 million Euro or around 18% more than a year ago.
The increase was particularly significant in the case of unpaid corporate and business taxes. These alone rose by over 50% since the turn of the year, according to the Senate response, to nearly 600 million Euro.
The Left demands: Scrutinize corporations more closely
"Our inquiry clearly shows that it pays to look more closely at large corporations and millionaires in terms of taxing large profits," said David Stoop, the financial expert for the Left. "And the tax arrears in corporate and business tax, which by the way are the city of Hamburg's responsibility, have significantly expanded."
It is a matter of tax fairness that companies making large profits pay their fair share in taxes. Not collecting these taxes is deeply unfair, Stoop said. He urged Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD) to ensure sufficient staff to scrutinize corporations more closely. Otherwise, "ordinary" taxpayers would be "shortchanged."
Despite the significant increase in corporate and business tax arrears being the city's responsibility in Hamburg, totaling nearly 600 million Euro, the Left advocates for a closer examination of these corporations. David Stoop, the financial expert for The Left, emphasizes that it's crucial for large profitable companies to pay their fair share in taxes, as failing to do so leads to tax unfairness.
