With about 50 billion Euros the leasing industry is the biggest investor in Germany. As was reported by the dpa subsidiary news aktuell, the chairman of the Bundesverbandes Deutscher Leasing-Unternehmen e.V. (BDL), Mr. Horst-Günther Schulz, strongly criticized the plans of the Federal Minister of Finance, Peer Steinbrück, who wants to increase trade taxes on lease and rent payments.
According to Mr. Horst-Günther Schulz such increases were detrimental to the upswing of the economy and would prevent investment urgently needed in particular among small and medium-sized entities (SME). One out of four investments in equipment was meanwhile made on a lease basis. In their coalition agreement the political parties of CDU/CSU and SPD had still talked of an investment offensive. What they are doing now, however, according to his words, was a investment prevention offensive.
According to the estimates of the BDL, the changes planned would lead to additional tax burdens on industrial rent and lease agreements. This would have a particularly negative effect on the processing and service industry as well a trade, which are the major clients of the leasing sector. “The plans would have particularly dramatic consequences for small and medium-sized entities, since these companies make particularly extensive use of leasing”, criticized Mr. Schulz. 