The Union is criticizing the proposal put forward by Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) to abolish tax classes III and V, which are popular among married couples. Bayern’s Finance Minister, Albert Füracker (CSU), told the “Handelsblatt” that this is a “clear no to ideologically driven guardianship over married couples,” emphasizing that Bavaria strongly supports maintaining the current system of tax classes. Füracker pointed out that many married couples deliberately choose the combination of III and V, and this freedom of choice must be preserved.
Fritz Güntzler (CDU), the financial policy spokesperson for the Union, shares this skeptical view on the proposal. He stated that while the Finance Minister is welcome to help married couples with their calculations, he should not take away their choice.
According to earlier reports by the newspaper, Klingbeil intends to eliminate tax classes III and V within a tax simplification law. Under this new system, taxation would automatically be determined based on the income distribution between the spouses, relying on the so-called Factor method used in tax class IV.
While CDU financial politician Güntzler acknowledged that the Factor method could be useful and simplified through automation, he argued that abolishing tax classes III and V is unnecessary. He stressed that before opening up new issues, the government should focus on the tax plans agreed upon in the coalition agreement. Adding to this point, Füracker stated that the discussion is superfluous since the Factor method can already be selected today.
