Overview

• Die Linke’s leadership presented a concept for a levy on “luxury villas” to channel revenue into social housing initiatives.
• The proposal includes a possible 5 percent surcharge on the Grunderwerbssteuer for property purchases above €4 million and envisages higher Grundsteuer rates for top-end estates.
• The party points to Los Angeles’s similar tax scheme that generated roughly $425 million last year as evidence of its revenue potential.
• Jan van Aken argued that homeowners of rarely occupied, high-value properties should contribute to housing affordability for families, couples and younger adults.
• Key elements such as the number of affected properties, projected income and legal implementation remain undefined and will require further design and debate.