DThe FDP harshly criticized the CDU chairman Friedrich Merz after he openly spoke out in favor of a higher top tax rate. “Increasing the top tax rate would be poison for medium-sized companies. For almost a million partnerships, the income tax is the corporate tax,” said the FDP parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, Christian Dürr, the FAZ – and he added: “If Mr. Merz now calls for an increase in income tax, he hits the German middle class directly. “
Referring to his party’s policies, Dürr said the opposite was the order of the day: “As the FDP, we have just implemented tax relief in the coalition.”
He was referring to the tax reform proposed by Finance Minister Christian Lindner and launched by the cabinet this week, which is intended to relieve companies of a single-digit billion amount through various measures. “In a difficult economic phase, the CDU is philosophizing about tax increases. That’s completely off topic,” Dürr criticized in the direction of Merz.
“It is important to relieve the middle class”
Merz had previously spoken out publicly for the first time in his party’s proposals to increase the top tax rate and to establish a gradual increase in the retirement age. “Even people who earn just a little more than average experience an enormous burden from duties and taxes,” Merz told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper (FAS). “We have to flatten the stress curve, because performance has to be worthwhile. It doesn’t matter whether the top tax rate is 42 or 45 percent. It is important to relieve the middle class.”
Regarding the pension debate, Merz said that one should “not fall into the old debate of whether we should retire at 67 or 70”. However, he added: “It would be better to split the increasing life expectancy into additional work and additional pension payments.” Most recently, Merz had made the proposal to make additional earnings tax-free in old age.
The party and parliamentary group leader thus backed initiatives by the CDU presidium member and deputy parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn. At the end of last year, the former health minister proposed automatically linking the retirement age to life expectancy.
In his function as chairman of the prosperity commission for the planned CDU basic program, he also advocated a higher top tax rate in April. Merz initially avoided taking a position on both proposals. In particular, a higher top tax rate had met with strong resistance in parts of the party.
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