Overview
- From 1 September national law lets Lohnsteuerhilfevereine advise a wider group of taxpayers by removing prior income caps, a change the finance ministry estimates will extend affordable tax help to about 35,500 more people.
- Deutsche Bahn began alcohol bans at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Gesundbrunnen, Kiel and Braunschweig on 1 September and plans to extend the ban to roughly 5,400 stations by 15 October, with on-site restaurants exempt.
- A federal Warntag will test Cell Broadcast, warning apps, sirens and TV/radio alerts at 11:00 on 10 September with an expected all‑clear around 11:45 to verify alert delivery and device reception.
- The EU steps up digital rules in mid-September: from 11 September the Cyber Resilience Act requires makers to report actively exploited security flaws to a central EU body within 24 hours, and from 12 September the Data Act requires new connected products to give users free, easier access to device-generated data.
- On 27 September the EU enforces a mandatory two-year warranty label at point of sale, introduces a voluntary GARAN label for extended guarantees, tightens rules against unverified environmental claims, and expands information duties for goods with digital elements, increasing both consumer clarity and legal exposure for firms.