wealth tax (Germany)

A wealth tax of two percent on large fortunes would give the German state roughly 42 billion euros in additional revenue. This would give the government the room to lower taxes on both earned income and for companies, thereby delivering an important economic impulse.

— Marcel Fratzscher, President of DIW, told the German Press Agency (dpa).

Instead of applying the ax to the broad base of working people and challenging the achievements of the welfare state, the federal government must finally hold the beneficiaries of unequal distribution to account.

— Stefan Körzell, Deputy Chairman of the DGB, to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

The concentration of wealth at the top continues to rise — those who have more can diversify more broadly and invest in higher-yield asset classes such as stocks or private equity.

— Said by Michael Kahlich, BCG partner in Zurich and co-author of the study, in the context of the Global Wealth Report 2025 on wealth distribution among Germany's super-rich.

The number of millionaires is rising sharply — Germany is in third place.

— Caption credited to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa); context in the wealth growth article

In the short and medium term, a high wealth tax poses significant burdens on the attractiveness of the location, investments, and the innovative capacity of the economy, especially in light of the current overall economic stagnation and the crisis of the German industrial export model.

— Stefan Bach, study author at DIW, in Berlin discussing the risks of a high wealth tax.

The federal government needs money to cover budget gaps.

— Marcel Fratzscher, head of DIW, explains the necessity of a VAT increase.