SPD on finance and taxes

The SPD wants to channel money from the federal special fund through the Rheinland-Pfalz-Plan into education, climate and infrastructure. Municipalities are to receive the money through a simple procedure and decide for themselves where to use it.

The federal government is providing a lot of money for investment. A large part goes to cities and towns. The state adds more money. The towns should decide for themselves how to spend it.

According to the program, about 2.9 billion euros from the special fund will go directly to municipalities over the next twelve years. The state is providing an additional 600 million euros. The Rheinland-Pfalz-Plan is meant to enable investment in education, transport routes, climate-friendly infrastructure, and cities and towns. The SPD wants the investments to be noticeable for people and to produce flagship projects in the regions.

The SPD wants to further improve the financial situation of municipalities and shape the municipal fiscal equalization system according to need. It demands that the federal government take over half of municipalities' legacy debt and fully pay for new tasks.

Many cities and towns have too little money. The SPD wants to keep helping them. The federal government should take over half of the towns' old debts. Whoever gives towns new tasks should also pay for them.

According to the program, municipal fiscal equalization exceeds four billion euros in 2026; it is to be reviewed and kept aligned with need. The SPD demands strict application of the principle that whoever orders a task pays for it, especially for federally regulated social and youth welfare costs. On social spending, it calls for a fair split of burdens among the federal government, states and municipalities. Together with the municipal umbrella associations, structural deficits in social spending are to be analyzed and ways toward lasting relief developed.

The SPD wants to continue forward-looking budgeting with clear priorities while securing the state's capacity to invest. Through the Rheinland-Pfalz-Plan, 5.4 billion euros are to go into education, infrastructure, digitization, climate protection, health and basic public services.

The SPD wants to handle the state's money carefully. At the same time, the state should invest a lot. 5.4 billion euros should go to schools, roads, climate protection and health. Cities and rural areas should have equally good living conditions.

The investment drive is designed to run over the next twelve years. Investments are to be shaped so that they create long-term value and preserve the leeway of future generations. Public funds are to be used in a targeted way to promote equal living conditions in urban and rural areas. Budget policy is meant to ensure financial stability even when revenues grow more slowly.

The SPD wants everyone to pay their fair share of taxes and intends to further strengthen the tax and revenue administration to that end. The administration is to be modernized and further digitized. The high number of trainees at the finance college in Edenkoben is to be maintained.

The SPD wants everyone to pay taxes fairly. For this, the tax offices should become stronger. They should work in a more modern and digital way. The state should keep training many experts for the tax offices.

According to the platform, fair tax policy secures reliable revenue and trust in the state. The tax administration is to remain efficient and close to citizens. The Hochschule für Finanzen and the Landesfinanzschule in Edenkoben are described as an important site for dual study programs and training in the tax administration. The current number of training places is to be kept.