Overview
- On Monday, October 5, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil sent a third draft of a sugar‑drink tax that sets three rates and targets a July 1, 2027 start date.
- The draft proposes three tiers — €0.26, €0.32 and €0.38 per liter tied to sugar content — and officials estimate up to about €1.2 billion in annual revenue by 2028.
- A separate Formulierungshilfe for a plastic‑packaging tax projects more than €1.5 billion a year while estimating roughly €44.1 million in annual compliance costs for business.
- The ministry’s documents call for roughly 1,046 additional enforcement and IT posts, mostly at customs and the federal IT service, creating fresh conflict with coalition promises against new hires.
- Union politicians and trade groups publicly dispute the revenue math and say early cross‑ministerial coordination was skipped, making ministerial vetos and further negotiation likely before any cabinet decision.