tax on new marriages
Weil supports the abolition of tax splitting
Stephan Weil supports the proposal by SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. photo
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
Lars Klingbeil’s proposal to change the taxation of newly married couples has sparked debate. The SPD party leader is now receiving support from his state association in Lower Saxony.
Women and men should have equal rights in work and family, said the SPD politician. There are also many partnerships that are extremely stable but do not require a marriage certificate. “Therefore, the question is justified as to whether this tax regulation is still up to date.”
The head of government described it as sensible that Klingbeil expressly referred his initiative only to new marriages. “That doesn’t offend the couples who have adjusted to it,” Weil said.
Klingbeil had proposed the partial abolition of spouse splitting instead of saving on parental allowance. “In this way we 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,” he told the editorial network Germany. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) emphasized that nobody was planning a deterioration for “normal earners”.
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 earns a lot and the other a little.