Vice-Chancellor and leader of the Greens Werner Kogler starts a new attempt for an inheritance tax. In a video published on social media on Saturday, Kogler calls for a “millionaire tax” for “million heirs”. If someone inherits a “fat villa” or “astronomical share packages”, he currently pays “nothing – zero, niente, nada” for the community, the Greens leader locates a “blatant injustice”.
In any case, the pre-election campaign seems to have started: After the ÖVP leader and Chancellor Karl Nehammer tried to position himself with the topic “Autoland” Austria, Kogler now warmed up the green classic wealth taxes again shortly before May 1st. “Anyone who hacks all his life pays hundreds of thousands of euros in taxes and duties for this working life,” Kogler begins his plea, for example for kindergartens, schools and hospitals. “If someone inherits many millions, a fat villa, astronomical blocks of shares or huge assets of any other kind, they pay exactly nothing – zero, niente, nada” for the community, criticizes the Greens leader.
“This is not Christian”
With fewer and fewer people, more and more fortune is coming, Kogler stated, “and the others get nothing – that’s a blatant injustice,” he says. “That’s not Christian, that’s not social,” Kogler told his coalition partner ÖVP, which is against such taxes, “that’s not fair and not just.” Because this “non-performance” income “contradicts every performance principle,” says the Vice Chancellor. A “responsible future” not only includes courageous climate protection, but also the elimination of such injustices. “That’s why I’m in favor of a millionaire’s tax,” advertises Kogler. “The heirs of millions should make their fair and just contribution.”
The additional income should benefit those “who do a lot but earn little”, explained Kogler, for example the nursing staff and kindergarten teachers. After the end of the corona pandemic and the securing of the energy supply, “now is the time to look further into the future and to discuss a very old question of justice again,” said the Greens to the APA. Especially in an increasingly tense personnel situation in many areas in which a lot is done for the social context, but the income is low, one wants to initiate a redistribution debate. Details were left open: Kogler now wants to talk to “those affected”, experts, scientists and politicians about how such a “millionaire tax for millionaire heirs” can be designed in the most sensible way.
Of course, there are no signs of a course change for the Turquoises. The ÖVP federal party did not want to comment on the “Proposals of the Green party leader” at APA’s request on Saturday.
Also Katzian for wealth taxes
ÖGB President Wolfgang Katzian once again spoke out in favor of wealth taxes at the weekend. In the “Salzburger Nachrichten”, Katzian interpreted the statements by Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) that he was now paying more attention to the budget path as “an announcement of a savings package, even if he didn’t say the word”. The union boss emphasized: “Anyone who believes that this can be done on the backs of the workers lives on the moon and is on the wrong track. We will oppose this with all our strength, with everything that is possible.”
Rather, Katzian wants to “pose the distribution question”: There are many who contribute nothing or almost nothing. “I don’t care whether it’s called wealth tax, millionaire tax or anything else. The point is: the large fortunes have to make a contribution,” demanded the ÖGB President, the same applies to large inheritances. “Broad shoulders can carry more than a snack with narrow shoulders.”
