Overview
- Thuringia’s finance ministry launched the one-year “Amsel” trial, with the first 6,000 pre-filled 2025 tax return letters sent to households in Erfurt and Ilmenau on Tuesday.
- Tax offices prepare a return from existing income data and issue an assessment within days after recipients sign and send back a consent form by the end of July.
- Participation is voluntary, ELSTER online filing remains available, and joint filers must provide two signatures for a shared assessment.
- The pilot targets people with only wage or pension income and excludes the self-employed, drawing on payroll, pension, and insurance records already held by the state.
- Officials cite Hesse’s 2025 Kassel test with about 75% acceptance, other states are running similar pilots, and reports suggest a wider rollout could eventually reach more taxpayers.