Sunday, October 10, 2021

The German Tax-Increase Gambit?

 So if you didn't grasp this....here, two years into the Covid-adventure....the government has spent a fair amount of money that it didn't have.  Then they spent money on the Ahr Valley disaster, and they've covered five or six things which consumed cash in a unexpected way.  

The new government of Germany (to be led by the SPD) really needs tax increases to occur in 2022.  A lot of Germans are criticizing the anticipated move.

Enter the coalition partners (potentially)....the Greens and FDP.  The Greens are in full agreement, and want the taxes to all be carbon-related and aimed at mostly the ultra-rich of Germany.  The FDP?  They've laid the big card down....that there might be welling nature to accept a autobahn speed and some mandates, but NO new taxes. 

What'll happen?  A long process in talking will occur, and the SPD will be in a rough position....unable to form a government without the FDP.  I suspect that the best deal to be gained is one or two modest tax increases (probably aimed at companies like Facebook/Google), and that's it.  

This government in serious trouble without the big tax increases?  Either way, it's a problem.  You don't want new big taxes in the middle of a recession.  But Covid has cost the government a big chunk of money.  

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