Citizens' debate on taxes: Erfurt is looking for solutions for fair finances!

Citizens' debate on taxes: Erfurt is looking for solutions for fair finances!

The citizens' debate on “Fair Taxes and Finances” is gaining momentum and poses the central question of what a fair and efficient tax and financial policy in Germany can look like. The three-stage participation process aims to actively involve citizens in shaping future tax policy. Around 18,000 participants took part in the online participation, submitting over 2,000 suggestions and casting around 330,000 votes. The results of this online consultation were presented at a federal press conference in Berlin, where the importance of the debate about fair taxes and government spending was also emphasized taxpayer.de.

A central concern of this debate is the efficient use of tax money. There is broad popular support for greater taxation of large fortunes and international corporations, while radical redistribution proposals do not meet with support. Nevertheless, citizens show that they are always looking for concrete savings suggestions to address current concerns about wasting taxpayer money.

The structure of the civil debate

The second phase of the citizens' debate begins on May 29th in Erfurt and will be carried out with 40 randomly drawn citizens. These consultations will take place over two weekends, May 29th to June 1st and June 27th to 29th. The topics of the consultations are based on the results of the online phase, with the aim of developing recommendations for the transparent and efficient use of taxpayers' money. Phase 3 will include a public presentation and discussion of the results with politicians, such as make.org reported.

The family financial reference will also be considered in the coming discussions, as the question of what the community can afford and who pays for it is fundamental. The federal, state and local governments collect around one trillion euros in taxes every year, which underlines the urgency of a regulated debate about public finances.

Key challenges and funding

The state's financial situation is tense - there is an annual lack of funds of an estimated 5 billion euros for daycare places and a further 5 billion euros for VAT reductions in the catering industry. Currently, 3 billion euros are earmarked for the Germany Ticket. These figures highlight the challenge associated with shaping tax and financial policy. The organizers of the debate are Mehr Democracy e.V., the Tax Justice Network and the Taxpayers' Association, supported by Make.org, the Nexus Institute and various foundations, including the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Schöpflin Foundation.

The results of this citizen participation are expected to play a crucial role in the political discourse on public finance and tax policy. The initiative is not only an attempt to hear citizens' voices on these important issues, but also a step towards more transparent and fair tax practices in Germany.