Every fourth medium-sized company is thinking of giving up their own business. The entrepreneurs surveyed see bureaucracy and high taxes as the greatest obstacle.
According to a recent survey, the owners of more than every fourth medium-sized company are considering giving up. According to this, more than one in five medium-sized companies is even considering relocating the business abroad.
The entrepreneurs surveyed felt the most restricted by bureaucratic hurdles, excessive taxes and a lack of skilled workers. The survey was commissioned by the Federal Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses.
Loud industry association a warning sign
The chairman of the association, Markus Jerger, speaks of a warning signal: “When entrepreneurs who are deeply rooted in their homeland and think about giving up their business or consider moving abroad, nobody can be left cold.”
According to the Working Group for SMEs, in which various associations have been organized, around 40 million people were employed in German SMEs in 2021.
Finance Minister Lindner wants to create relief
The tax burden in Germany is repeatedly brought up in the debate by companies. In an international comparison, corporate taxes in Germany are relatively high at just under 30 percent.
Finance Minister Lindner wants to alleviate this with his Growth Opportunities Act. The economy should be relieved by six billion euros annually. Numerous tax policy measures are planned, the core of which is a premium to promote investments in climate protection. In addition, it should be easier to offset losses against profits from the previous year – this then reduces the tax burden.
Desire for more predictability
However, the Federal Association of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses also surveyed positive factors among its medium-sized members that Germany has to offer as a business location. The geographical location in the center of Europe comes off best; Infrastructure and well-trained staff are further arguments in favor of Germany as a business location.
Another aspect is the political stability, which the medium-sized entrepreneurs surveyed praise. At the same time, however, there is also a desire for more predictability with regard to the framework conditions.