Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) made it clear that he will not comment on whether the black‑red coalition will raise the value‑added tax to fill budget gaps. “I do not speculate on individual measures” he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland when asked. “A VAT increase is not part of the coalition agreement” he added, brushing off the suggestion that he has to do things outside the pact: “It is about a fair overall package”.
Klingbeil stressed that his income‑tax reform aims to relieve hardworking middle‑class families. “At the same time we will discuss how very large fortunes or very high incomes can contribute more” he said, emphasizing that it’s about greater fairness.
