IT problems cause delays in processing the property tax in Berlin

IT problems cause delays in processing the property tax in Berlin

According to a report by Hildburg Bruns from BZ Berlin, there are IT problems in the processing of property tax in Berlin. So far, only 260 of the 300 reported errors have been remedied. At the same time, 220,000 Berliners defend themselves against their tax notices. The application to determine the property tax value was made available to the states of Berlin, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen and Hamburg too late and there were always technical problems.

According to a letter from the Senate, the processing status is not as advanced as planned, which leads to reliable evaluations only possible at a later date. The last piece of the procedure for the processing of areas of agriculture and forestry is only expected this month.

So far, 835,000 explanations have been received, but around 38,000 are still missing. 781,000 notices on the property tax value have already been sent. If information is missing, the values ​​are estimated. 220,000 objections to the property tax notices have been received.

The property tax notices are to be sent in the second half of 2024 and the new sentences must be paid from 2025. In 2021, Berlin earned 850 million euros in property tax. The tax offices first process 2,000 major cases that make up a quarter of the income. The recalculation of property tax is necessary because the Federal Constitutional Court considered it incompatible with the general principle of equality. The unit values ​​have not been redefined for decades and differed in the east and west.

The goal of recalculation is that the tax height remains the same on average of all residential plots. However, there can be individual additional or lower loads. A typical apartment with 70 square meters should continue to cost around 250 euros per year in property tax. Tenants are involved in 15 to 46 cents per square meter because landlords transfer the tax to the operating costs.

These IT problems in processing the property tax have an impact on Berlin citizens. The delays mean that many people with their tax notices are dissatisfied and appeal. The long waiting time for the correct notices and the fact that the new sentences only have to be paid from 2025 ensures uncertainty and ambiguity among those affected.

Due to the large number of objections, there could be further delays and a longer processing time. This could also lead to a backlog in processing other tax and administrative matters and thus affect the efficiency of the tax authority. It remains to be seen whether the IT problems can be resolved quickly and the processing of the property tax is accelerated in order to catch up and send their correct notices to the citizens in good time.