Volt on finance and taxes

Volt wants a federal budget in which revenue, debt, and spending are in balance while still leaving room for investment. The budget is to be managed transparently and planned for the long term so that businesses can plan reliably.

Volt wants a balanced budget for the state. Income, debt, and spending should fit together. The state should still put money into roads, networks, and changing the economy. The budget should be open and planned for many years.

The platform describes sound public finances as the basis for the state's ability to act in a crisis. Investments in infrastructure and in the shift to a climate-neutral, competitive economy are to be made. Volt also wants to review whether approved spending can be carried over into the next year differently. The aim is to stop agencies from spending money without need at year's end, known as "December fever."

Volt wants to reform the Schuldenbremse (debt brake), which the platform considers too rigid and an obstacle to investment in the future. Certain net investments would no longer count under the rule, and the permitted level of new borrowing would rise.

Volt wants to change the debt brake. The debt brake limits how much new debt the state may take on. It should no longer apply to investments in the future. The state should also be allowed a little more debt overall. Experts should check the spending.

Under the label "Golden Rule Plus," net investments in areas such as education, infrastructure, digitalization, and climate protection would be exempt from the debt brake. The deficit limit would rise to a maximum of one percent of economic output. This applies only if the debt level stays below 60 percent of economic output, as the European stability rules require. An independent council of experts would assess planned spending and make sure the money really goes into investment.

Volt wants to pursue tax avoidance and tax evasion more forcefully in order to secure revenue for tasks such as education, health, and infrastructure. To that end, loopholes are to be closed, agencies expanded, and penalties toughened.

Volt wants to do more against tax fraud. Gaps in the law should go away. The offices that investigate tax crimes should grow. Serious cases should bring higher penalties. This way the state should take in more money.

Legal ways of getting around taxes are to be eliminated. Tax and customs investigators, specialized prosecutors' offices, and company audits are to be expanded and make more use of modern technology. Germany would share more tax data with other countries and take part in initiatives against tax havens and for more uniform tax law. In especially serious cases the prison sentence would be up to 15 years, and minimum sentences are planned for serious offenses. Records would have to be kept for 15 years, and Volt wants to recover the money from CumEx and CumCum deals.

Volt wants to bring the corporate tax burden down to the OECD average and promote private investment with a bonus. The platform considers the burden high by international comparison but wants companies to contribute a fair share to the community.

Volt wants companies to pay less tax. Taxes should be as high as the average in other industrial countries. Companies that invest should get a 10 percent bonus for two years. The EU should have a minimum tax for companies.

An EU-wide minimum corporate tax with a common tax base is meant to reduce tax avoidance within the Union. For two years, an investment bonus of 10% of the amount invested is planned, to support innovation and the climate-friendly restructuring of the economy. Subsidies for renewables and climate-friendly projects and tax depreciation options are added. The state is to act more as a provider of venture capital and combine public with private capital. Public procurement law would get more flexible criteria, and structurally weak regions would be supported with locally developed plans.

Volt wants to dismantle subsidies that harm the climate in several stages by 2028, including the tax exemption for jet fuel and advantages for company cars, the commuter allowance, and diesel. The party expects lower emissions, a more stable budget, and extra money for climate action and social compensation.

The state supports some things that harm the climate. Volt wants to end this support step by step. Jet fuel should be taxed. Diesel and company cars with combustion engines should cost more. The saved money should go to climate action and social support.

By the end of 2025, jet fuel would be taxed nationally, supplemented by an EU-wide minimum tax; the tax rate for fossil-fuel company cars would rise to two percent of the gross list price. By the end of 2026, Volt wants to align the commuter allowance with the actual costs of sustainable transport, exclude distances over 50 kilometers entirely, and gradually raise the diesel tax to the level of the gasoline tax. By 2028, all subsidies that directly favor fossil energy in industry would end, while new programs fund zero-emission technology. The Federal Environment Agency would review subsidies for climate harm every year. The money freed up would go entirely to renewables, climate-friendly transport, and social compensation.

Volt wants to scrap the tax advantage for company cars. In the party's view, it encourages the purchase of climate-damaging cars and mainly benefits the well-off.

People who use a company car privately pay little tax on it today. Volt wants to end this benefit. Volt says the benefit mostly helps rich people. Volt also says it leads to more cars that harm the climate.

The tax break for company cars would be eliminated entirely. The platform argues that the rule creates incentives to buy climate-damaging vehicles. In Volt's view, it also primarily benefits wealthier parts of the population.

Volt wants to strengthen private wealth building as a fourth pillar of retirement provision. The tax-free allowance on investment income would rise substantially for adults and could be carried over to later years, and financial literacy would be promoted. The platform expects this to support upward mobility and protect against old-age poverty, especially for younger people.

Volt wants to make it easier for people to save money themselves. People would pay less tax on gains from investments. A tax-free amount would go up. Everyone should also learn more about money.

The allowance for investment income would be noticeably higher from a person's 18th birthday, and unused amounts could be carried into future years. Children, teenagers and adults would receive targeted financial education. Dropping the solidarity surcharge is also listed here as a way to leave people more room to save. According to the platform, young people with long investment horizons benefit most.

Volt wants to restructure income tax so that low and middle incomes pay less and very high incomes pay more, without changing total revenue. This includes a higher basic allowance, ending the solidarity surcharge and Ehegattensplitting (joint tax splitting for married couples), and a higher top tax rate. The platform justifies this with strengthening the middle class and families.

Volt wants to change income tax. People with low and middle incomes would pay less. People with very high incomes would pay a bit more. The tax advantage for married couples would end. In return, the child benefit would go up.

The basic tax-free allowance would rise moderately. The solidarity surcharge would be dropped entirely. Ehegattensplitting, the joint taxation of married couples that benefits those with unequal incomes, would be scrapped and replaced by a higher Kindergeld (child benefit). The top rate and the so-called wealthy rate would be raised moderately for very high incomes. Overall, the reform is meant to leave state revenue unchanged.

Volt wants to add up inheritances and gifts over a whole lifetime and tax them progressively. The current exemption rules for business assets would be dropped, while allowances for family members would rise. The platform aims to reduce the concentration of wealth and raise more tax revenue.

Volt wants to change the tax on inheritances and gifts. Everything a person inherits or receives as a gift in life is added up. People who receive a lot pay more tax. Family members may receive more tax-free. Businesses get their own rules.

Today, transfers are only added together within a ten-year window; this period would be removed to prevent tax avoidance. Lifetime allowances for family members and for family homes would increase. Above the allowances, the same tax rates would apply regardless of how closely people are related. In place of today's exemptions, businesses would get separate allowances and reduced rates if they are continued over the long term. Heirs could defer the tax for up to ten years.

Volt wants to tax wealth above high exemption thresholds at rising rates. The platform presents this as a balance between social fairness and economic stability.

Volt wants a tax on very large fortunes. People who own more pay a higher share. A high amount stays tax-free for each person.

The exemption is to be a multi-digit million amount per person. Tax rates rise with the size of the fortune. Existing data sets are to be used for collection. In the longer run, Volt plans a Europe-wide wealth register.

Volt wants to exempt staple foods from value-added tax and apply the reduced rate to sustainable and essential products. In the party's view, the tax weighs especially heavily on low-income households.

Volt wants to change the sales tax. Bread, fruit and vegetables would have no tax. The tax on some other products would go down. This is meant to help people with little money.

Bread, fruit, vegetables and other staples would be taxed at a zero rate. The rate would drop to 7 percent for sustainably produced food, plant-based alternatives, baby food, medicines and over-the-counter contraceptives. Strict criteria based on international standards would define which products qualify. Volt wants to fully offset the lost revenue with a progressive inheritance tax.