ZVO position paper on energy and electricity tax
The ZVO has commented on the Federal Ministry of Finance's draft bill for a third law to amend the Energy Tax Act and the Electricity Tax Act.
The ZVO expressly welcomes the fundamental objective of the draft bill to reduce the electricity tax relief for the manufacturing industry to the EU minimum tax rate of 0.05 ct/kWh. For the electricity-intensive surface and electroplating industry, this measure is an important contribution to securing international competitiveness and mitigating structural disadvantages for the location. At the same time, however, it is very concerned that the draft presented falls well short of the expectations of a genuine reduction in bureaucracy and an SME-friendly design of the relief procedures.
ZVO calls for relief for SMEs
The ZVO therefore appeals to the Federal Ministry to add genuine structural simplifications to the draft regulation presented. Relief must not be limited to the legal text, but must be effective and accessible in practice for those affected - especially for the many small and medium-sized companies that form the backbone of German industry. Automated, digital and supplier-oriented relief would be a clear signal for bureaucracy reduction, SME orientation and competitiveness in energy-intensive industrial SMEs.