Federal finance minister and FDP chairman Christian Lindner is clearly against the timely abolition of spouse splitting. “That will not happen in this election period of the German Bundestag,” said Lindner in BR24’s “Interview of the Week”. The step was neither agreed in the coalition, nor is it fair for the taxpayers. “The working middle in our country already bears a heavy burden and must not be burdened any further.”
SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil spoke out in favor of abolishing marriage splitting earlier this week in order to avert savings in parental allowance. “We’re finally getting rid of spouse splitting. This would put an end to the antiquated tax model that favors the classic distribution of roles between men and women. And the state would save money,” said Klingbeil the editorial network Germany. Lindner commented on Klingbeil’s proposal with the words: “I already see that as an election campaign tune for the year 2025.”
Meanwhile, Klingbeil received support for his proposal from within his own ranks. “The marriage splitting from the Adenauer period has the image in mind that the woman is at home and takes care of home, stove and child, while the man raises the family income. This attitude has changed radically,” Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil told the Germans Press agency in Hanover.
With spouse splitting, the joint income of a couple is halved, the income tax due is calculated and the tax liability is then doubled. This is particularly useful for couples where one partner earns a lot and the other a little.