In Germany, dog tax fills state coffers

© LIU JIN/AFP/Archives

A tax with bite ? In Germany, the dog tax has allowed public finances to collect more than 420 million euros in 2023. A growing tax windfall. While the measure is surprising, it raises questions of both equality and responsibility regarding pet ownership, at a time when the purchasing power of the middle class is shrinking like shagreen leather.

Is having a dog a luxury ? In Germany, dog owners contribute, in spite of themselves, to a flourishing tax system. The dog tax, in force since the 16th century, generated more than 420 million euros in 2023, an increase of 41% over ten years. While inflation is hitting the country hard, as elsewhere in Europe, this increase raises questions: have our furballs become a tax resource to be exploited ?

Certainly, this tax helps to feed the coffers of cities, but at what cost for the owners ? With a tax that can climb to 600 euros, the weight of this tax is not distributed fairly. As reported by Le Parisien, some regions apply discriminatory criteria based on breed, such as in Hamburg, where a dog not classified as dangerous costs 90 euros compared to 600 for a rottweiler. A difference that makes people grind their teeth, particularly because the list of “dangerous” dogs varies from one state to another.

Added to this is the surge in animal feed prices, which rose by 17% in 2023. For the poorest households, already hit by the rising cost of living, owning a dog is becoming almost impossible. Tax exemptions exist for guide dogs or for people in precarious situations, but they do not compensate for the growing impression that living with an animal is becoming a luxury.

And, there is no doubt that this tax could inspire new forms of taxation in France, where the budget crisis is omnipresent. Perhaps, at least, this will allow the most zealous to think twice before adopting an animal, if it is then to regret it, abandon it or mistreat it.

You liked the article ? It mobilized our editorial staff who only live on your donations.
Information has a cost, especially since the competition from subsidized editorial staff requires greater rigor and professionalism.

With your support, France-Soir will continue to offer its articles for free  because we believe that everyone should have access to free and independent information to form their own opinion.

You are the sine qua non condition for our existence, support us so that France-Soir remains the French media which allows the most legitimate voices to be expressed.