Federal government is planning the end of the bonus obligation: reduction in bureaucracy or tax trick?

Federal government is planning the end of the bonus obligation: reduction in bureaucracy or tax trick?

The federal government has big plans: the abolition of the bonus obligation in Germany is on the agenda of the new black and red coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This regulation was originally introduced in 2020 to reduce tax fraud in retail and make black sales more transparent. Anyone who works with an electronic checkout system was obliged to hand over a receipt for each customer with every purchase, which produced a lot of paper waste and bureaucracy. As nord24 , many retailers see the arbitration of the bonus.

But not everyone is enthusiastic about the planned abolition. The German Tax Union (DStG) expresses sharp criticism and considers the obligation to be bonus as an essential control measure. DSTG boss Florian Köbler warns that the end of this regulation could send a negative signal at a time when the public health insurance companies are already strained. According to the Federal Audit Office, the tax fraud on the cash registers is estimated to be up to ten billion euros annually - a tired topic that should not simply be laid, as Köbler emphasizes.

uniform voices in the trade

The discussion about the bonus obligation also polarizes in retail. The HDE trade association sees the abolition as a positive sign and argues that it is simply pointless to issue evidence that ultimately only end up in the trash. This applies above all to large retail groups that had to bear high costs in the millions due to the bonus obligation. Critics of the regulation emphasize that the low control density of the tax authorities is a real problem to check the sales of sales.

A proposal is to increase the controls by the tax offices instead, which brings the DSTG into play as a more promising measure. The trade association also demands initiatives that bring a noticeable added value in practice instead of burdening the small retailers with bureaucratic hurdles. From 2027, it should also be mandatory for business with annual sales of over 100,000 euros to use electronic registration coffers - another measure that could still provide many discussions, such as the rnd reported

criticism and worries about tax fraud

The introduction of the bonus obligation was associated with great hopes, but the reality shows that many evidence landed unused in the trash. The trade association questions this inevitable practice. Apart from the growing amount of garbage, the high costs in the balance sheet may have left a not inconsiderable impression. Critics argue that it has long been time to take reality into account and to find a practical solution to combat tax fraud.