Over a million protests against the proposed property tax in the south-western region - Strong opposition voices rise against the proposed land tax in the south-west, with an impressive 1.4 million objections recorded.
Challenging Over 1.4 Million Property Tax Objections in Baden-Württemberg
More than a quarter of property owners in Baden-Württemberg have lodged objections against the newly implemented property tax, according to reports by Southwest Broadcasting (SWR). As of January 1, 2025, the state has received approximately 1.4 million objections out of nearly 4.8 million cases, making it a potential frontrunner in oppositions nationwide.
Many of these objections, approximately 1.3 million, question the constitutionality of the new property tax law in Baden-Württemberg. In the state's Ministry of Finance, it is revealed that around 125,000 objections cite discrepancies in the calculated property size. Nearly half of the objections (56.7 percent) have been resolved, with the remaining under review.
The Baden-Württemberg government employs its unique property tax model, which considers only the value of the property, irrespective of its contents. This approach has staggered many owners of single and two-family homes with substantial gardens, as they now face significant increases in their tax payments.
The legality of the new property tax law in Baden-Württemperg is currently being reviewed by the Federal Financial Court. As a result, the processing of these objections has been put on hold until the ongoing court proceedings are finalized.
In June 2024, the initial two lawsuits challenging the new property tax were rejected by the Finance Court of Baden-Württemberg. These plaintiffs, from Stuttgart and Karlsruhe, along with the Taxpayers' Association and the Association of House & Ground, appealed to the Federal Financial Court.
It's essential to note that property tax regulations vary across Germany. Most states, such as North Rhine-Westphalia, follow the federal model, while others, like Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, have developed their own models. As of the request to SWR, North Rhine-Westphalia has around 1.5 million objections, while Bavaria has roughly 1.3 million, with an objection rate of 11.3 percent out of 12 million notices.
Despite the ongoing legal challenges and high volume of objections, the ultimate outcome remains uncertain. Further developments in the court proceedings are anticipated to shed more light on the future of property taxation in Baden-Württemberg.
The ongoing disputes over the Baden-Württemberg property tax policy have led to over 1.4 million objections, raising questions about the constitutionality of the new law in finance and politics. As different regions, such as North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria, employ distinct property tax policies in their own business practices, the resolution of these objections could have nationwide implications for general-news related to property taxation in Germany.