Erfurt (dpa/th) - According to the Ministry of Finance, exactly 968,708 property tax returns were received by the Thuringian tax offices by the end of the period, mostly online. At the end of January, that was 77.5 percent of the expected 1.25 million declarations from property owners, as the Ministry of Finance announced on Tuesday in Erfurt. "I am very satisfied with the result," said Finance Minister Heike Taubert (SPD). In the last two days, the tax offices in the Free State have recorded record values for the receipt of declarations. Shortly before the end of the month on the last two days of January, there were 54,229 declarations.
"In the course of February we want to encourage as many latecomers and undecided people as possible to fill out and submit their property tax returns," says Taubert. "That later saves unnecessary trouble and correspondence with the tax office."
The more explanations there are, the more realistically the municipalities can calculate their tax rates. Ultimately, the municipalities would finance infrastructure for their citizens with the income from the property tax. Taubert: "Because if you want to run a kindergarten, if you want to pave a street or even have a school in your area, you should contribute to these costs in solidarity."
The tax offices have so far sent around 343,000 property tax assessments and property tax assessment amounts to property owners throughout Thuringia. In particular, the processing of agricultural and forest land will take some time.
Defaulting property owners should now receive reminders from the tax office. If there is no response, the tax base is estimated. The tax authorities continue to provide the free program "MeinELSTER" for the digital submission of returns.
According to the ministry, the country, but also other large property owners, have timetables by when they have to submit all declarations. According to Taubert, state authorities should be finished preparing the last declarations in February.
Taubert has already rejected an extension of the deadline for property tax returns, as Bavaria wants to grant. "Thuringia itself does not support any further extension of the deadline," said the minister.
