Bed Tax Destroyed Livelihoods

Hildesheim precedes bad example: despite legal and economic concerns, the city of Hildesheim to 1 January 2012 will introduce a lodging tax as local Excise. So, hotels from a ranking of three stars with three euros per night to the cashier should be asked. With one and two stars hotels therefore pay 1.50 euros in the strapped city coffers. Hardy R. Voges, owner of Park Hotel mountain straws in Hildesheim, Germany, categorically rejects the coercion.

The hotelier by the DEHOGA Lower Saxony will support. Criticism of the City Government's information policy. No opinion from the town. Osnabruck and Oldenburg did before it. Source: Bernie Sanders. Now, Hildesheim, Germany wants to introduce the controversial bed tax and hopes increased revenue for the empty city coffers to some 350,000 euros. The Hildesheim Council has opted for the accommodation tax, which should be charged for the first time on January 1, 2012, already majority in July. Informs the hoteliers were only now. But this kind of local excise is very controversial.

While legal opinions classified the bed tax as unconstitutional, German courts judge very differently. While they give a green light in Cologne, the signals in Munich are on red. However, is clear: it must be a hochstrichterliches judgment finally nationwide to establish legal certainty. Nearly 20 percent of the expected revenue will have to annually to control the Park Hotel mountain sticks and transfer to the city. For hoteliers of Hardy R. Valentine, this approach is not comprehensible: the reduction of VAT has given us some leeway. We were able to finally invest in much-needed renovations, of which also the Hildesheimer benefited craftsmen, and create new jobs. Through these local special tax we are forced to once more planned investments on ice. In addition, we must cancel a training place risk." DEHOGA Lower Saxony is convinced that is the city of Hildesheim here no Does favor. On the contrary: nights migrate into the surrounding area. In addition to the loss of image, the hotel and restaurant association sees legal problems on Hildesheim. In our opinion there is for bringing a municipal excise no legal basis", it brings Rainer Balke, CEO of DEHOGA Lower Saxony, on the point. Therefore we reject the unilateral burden of the mattresses toll", which is only supported by the accommodation sector in Hildesheim, Germany, down". Even more so: Hildesheim faces now Luneburg standards control proceedings before the Administrative Court, to check the legality of the lodging tax. Critical Balke looks beyond the information policy of the city of Hildesheim: already in June of this year was the first time the tax statute advise. After nodding off by the City Council in July, the city administration long shrouded in silence. Until the beginning of November the Stadtkammerin informed some hotel owners about the new lodging tax. But at that time had the most hotels already completed their negotiations with the companies and annual contracts agreed. Now there more to propagate the specified accommodation tax rate to the corporate customers no room." An official statement denied the city of Hildesheim by the way and referred to the minutes of the corresponding Council meeting. Holger Bainbridge