Germany's Bundestag and Bundesrat passed a fuel-tax cut that lowers the energy tax on petrol and diesel from 1 October through the end of the year, tagesschau and Der Spiegel reported. tagesschau put the cut at 14 cents a litre, about 17 cents with VAT, and the cost at about 2.5 billion euros. Der Spiegel put it at 14.04 cents, 16.7 cents once the missing VAT is counted, and 2.485 billion euros less tax. The states carry half.
tagesschau reported on 25 September that the Bundestag and the Bundesrat were due the same day to decide a fuel-tax cut. The energy tax on gasoline and diesel falls by 14 cents a litre, and the relief including VAT is about 17 cents a litre. The government expects a cost of about 2.5 billion euros from 1 October through the end of the year, and the states are to carry half.[1]
Der Spiegel reports that the Bundestag passed the tax cut on Friday, with votes from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and that the Bundesrat also agreed in the afternoon. The aim is to have the relief in place on 1 October. The government expects 2.485 billion euros less tax to reach the treasury. This time the states are to carry half of the shortfall. In the May and June cut, Der Spiegel notes, the federal government carried the cost alone. Der Spiegel puts the energy-tax cut at 14.04 cents a litre, and 16.7 cents once the missing VAT is counted, which it rounds to the often-cited 17 cents.[2]
tagesschau had both chambers on Friday's schedule. Der Spiegel says the Bundestag passed the cut on Friday and the Bundesrat agreed in the afternoon. The two cost figures sit side by side: tagesschau's about 2.5 billion euros, and Der Spiegel's 2.485 billion euros. tagesschau states a 14-cent energy-tax cut, or about 17 cents once VAT is counted. Der Spiegel states 14.04 cents, and 16.7 cents once the missing VAT is counted, rounded to 17 cents. Both place the relief from 1 October through the end of the year, with the states carrying half.[1], [2]
