Voting in Schaffhausen – Historic tax cuts are not enough for Schaffhausen – News

In the canton of Schaffhausen, taxes will fall by eight percentage points this year. With two controversial votes, however, further tax cuts are to be effected on February 13th.

There has never been such a massive tax cut in the canton of Schaffhausen. Starting this year, private individuals will have to pay significantly less, the tax rate will drop by a full eight percentage points. But that’s not all: On February 13, the electorate of the canton of Schaffhausen will decide on two bills that provide for further tax breaks.

1. Temporary tax reduction due to the Corona crisis: This bill involves, among other things, an additional reduction of the tax base by two percentage points. This measure is to apply for a limited period of three years – in the sense of a corona discount.
2. Tax attractiveness of the residential location Schaffhausen: This template provides that the population can claim higher insurance deductions in the tax return. In addition, the tariffs for wealth tax are to be reduced.

With this package of templates, the canton of Schaffhausen should become at least as attractive as its neighboring cantons when it comes to taxes, argue the supporters from the middle-class camp. The canton can afford the tax cuts, given the huge surpluses of recent years.

“The canton has taken too much money out of people’s pockets. He should have corrected that a long time ago, »emphasizes SVP cantonal councilor Mariano Fioretti. “Now we’ll fix it.”

“Socially balanced” or “democratically questionable”?

While the supporters of the bills speak of a socially balanced package, the left-wing parties have a different opinion. SP cantonal councilor Kurt Zubler would still agree with the higher insurance deductions. Small and medium-sized companies also benefit from this.

However, he criticizes the fact that the government and the bourgeois parliamentary majority have linked these deductions with “unpopular tax cuts for the wealthy”: “That is questionable in terms of democratic policy.” Zubler also considers further tax cuts in the canton to be inappropriate. “The consequences will again be austerity packages.”