Increase in property transfer tax in NRW

oh yes, the evil evil state always just rips us off.

oh yes, the evil evil state always just rips us off.

The flexibility demanded from citizens by the state is of course not beneficial to an increase in real estate transfer tax. Personally, I would prefer if the state raised the value-added tax by a few percentage points and simply abolished all these many small taxes (whose collection costs almost as much as they bring in). But nobody asks me.

Fortunately, we still have 3.5% in Saxony and apparently no increase is planned for next year..

oh yes, the evil evil state, always just ripping us off.

If it would do something useful with it, I wouldn't care. ;-) But bank bailouts, waste of taxes (Berlin airport, Elbphilharmonie or here in Saarland/RLP: Nürburgring, Saarbrücken museum construction, Gondwana, generous compensation for the head of the Völklinger Hütte World Heritage site with 13,000 EUR/month and a 7-series BMW...), excessive increases in their own allowances/pensions and always new taxes and fees etc. while I have to pay for kindergarten myself (almost 200 € per month for 2 children), even though supposedly families are supposed to be supported, I lack understanding for that. ;-) And with house construction, they really hit hard too. From my gross salary, after deducting my own income tax, I still pay VAT, real estate transfer tax, the income tax of those employed in construction and the building materials industry (the company has to factor that in if it wants to make a profit) etc.. So easily half goes away for nothing.

And who benefits? Ever used a street? Or a library? And do you think schools and kindergartens generate something so that they are free? How else should the police, garbage disposal, fire department, etc. be paid? And do you want the political representatives to earn so little that they become even more susceptible to corruption or spend even more time in their side jobs? Of course, there is tax waste, no question. But the majority flows back to you, as a road user, as a student, as a child in kindergarten (by the way, I pay 350 euros a month for my daughter).

Much more the problem:
The real estate transfer tax is only incurred by the "man on the street."
When large investors buy/sell entire office complexes, high-rise buildings, etc. in the order of several dozen million and upwards, no tax is incurred because these investment properties belong to their own companies, and then simply the owning company is sold. For example, in Berlin, some of the large buildings at Potsdamer Platz have been sold several times in recent years, and no real estate transfer tax was ever incurred. Companies that own the buildings were just sold.
_THAT_ is the loophole!

And who benefits? Ever used a road? Or a library? ... Schools and kindergartens ... Police, waste disposal, fire department, etc. Otherwise you would have to pay?

And before the increase, none of this existed? But good that there is now a fire department being introduced, and the perpetually stinking garbage should finally be collected as well.
What will the next increase bring, and then the one after that?

And do you want the political representatives to earn so little that they become even more susceptible to corruption or spend even more time in their side jobs?

I’m about to pack care packages now, didn’t know it was so bad for the MdLs, working poor, and right in the middle of Düsseldorf...