Title: Remaining Property Tax Declarations Unaccounted for in Saxony-Anhalt
With over nine months having passed since the deadline, approximately 94% of property tax returns due in Saxony-Anhalt have been submitted. This information was divulged by the Ministry of Finance following an inquiry. In total, around 851,000 declarations have been received, leaving approximately 54,000 unaccounted for. The tax offices are currently processing around 70 declarations daily, the ministry revealed.
Up until the end of January, property and land owners were obligated to submit a property tax return. The new property tax is set to commence on January 1, 2025. This reform will necessitate the reassessment of almost 36 million properties across Germany, using proprietor data. Property tax is a significant revenue source for local authorities. The future payments owed by individual proprietors are largely determined by the assessment rates of the municipalities.
Although the deadline has passed, Saxony-Anhalt is still awaiting approximately 54,000 property tax declarations. The reform of property tax in Germany is set to affect nearly 36 million properties, requiring detailed information from property owners, as their financial contributions will significantly impact municipal finances.
While the exact cause for the missing property tax declarations in Saxony-Anhalt remains unclear, several potential reasons can be ascertained:
- Complexity of the Reform: The new property tax reform in Germany, effective from 2025, involves changes to how local tax rates are calculated. This transformation may have introduced intricacies that property owners are grappling to comprehend, leading to delayed or incomplete declarations.
- Administrative Challenges: The conversion to new tax rates and calculation methods could pose administrative hurdles for both property owners and local tax offices. This situation might result in a backlog of declarations.
- Lack of Public Awareness: The insufficient public understanding about the new tax reform and its implications could also contribute to the missing declarations. If property owners are not adequately informed about the changes, they might not be submitting their declarations on time.
- Technical Issues: Technical issues with the online submission systems or other administrative tools could also be a factor. If the systems are not functioning properly, it could lead to delays or incomplete submissions.
Without explicit data from Saxony-Anhalt's authorities, it is challenging to ascertain the precise reasons behind the absent declarations. However, these factors are commonly associated with such administrative challenges.
