Not submitted yet? There are 20 million property tax returns missing

Many real estate owners in Germany are still taking their time with filing the property tax return. A month before the expiry of the already extended period, only 15.97 million electronic declarations were received by the tax authorities nationwide.

This was announced by the Bavarian State Office for Taxes, which is responsible for the Elster platform, at WELT AM SONNTAG on request. Hardly any declarations are received by the responsible authorities in paper form; around 95 percent are transmitted digitally.

For the planned real estate tax reform, a total of 36 million plots of land and buildings across Germany have to be revalued.

That means: There are still around 20 million explanations missing. Or vice versa: Only 45 percent are available at all. In October, the finance ministers of the federal states had extended the deadline by three months to January 31 due to the already sluggish tax.

Another extension of the deadline is currently not an issue for Rhineland-Palatinate Finance Minister Doris Ahnen (SPD). "The deadline for submitting the declarations is January 31, 2023. We assume that the submission rate will continue to improve over the course of January," said Ahnen. The deadline ensures that the municipalities have the necessary time to set the new assessment rates.

In neighboring Hesse, appeals are being tried. “After Christmas comes the New Year’s resolutions. A good intention can and should be implemented quickly: submitting the property tax return," said Finance Minister Michael Boddenberg (CDU). If you haven't done this yet, it's best to use the days off around the turn of the year.

What exactly happens if the number of tax returns does not increase significantly by January 31 is an open question. The Brandenburg Ministry of Finance, for example, categorically rules out an extension of the submission deadline. According to the authority, it is intended to send a reminder letter to those who do not meet the deadline in time.

If declarations are received late, the competent tax office can decide whether to impose a late fee. This amounts to 25 euros for each month of delay or part thereof, i.e. for each month or part thereof after the deadline. In the coming weeks, sufficient staff should be available in many tax offices for any queries.

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