Overview
- SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf announced over the weekend that the party will prioritise reintroducing a wealth tax and raising inheritance and gift taxes after the summer recess.
- Klüssendorf proposed a concrete benchmark of about 1 percent per year on fortunes above €100 million and said such a levy would raise 'double‑digit billions' for states and municipalities.
- He framed the push as timed to an anticipated Federal Constitutional Court ruling on inheritance tax later this year and argued that the decision will force the Union to accept the need for intervention.
- The SPD presents a new action plan against tax fraud by party ministers as preparatory work to get better data on hidden wealth and tax losses before formal legislative talks begin.
- Research and government figures cited by coverage show rising wealth concentration and large largely untaxed transfers—DIW estimates up to €400 billion a year, BCG finds about 5,000 'superrich' hold 27.3% of financial wealth, and Finance Ministry data record €11.1 billion in privileged transfers in 2024—while current inheritance rules exempt some company assets above roughly €26 million and can be used to avoid taxation.