Property tax reform in Harpstedt: disappointment and injustice grow!

In the Harpstedt community, the property tax notices were sent for 2025. The reactions of the affected households are mixed: while some are disappointed with the reform, others report less effects. Chamberlain Frank Kleine Kruthaup has received numerous feedback on property tax reform, which came into force on January 1, 2025. Owners of Resthöfe and former agricultural companies that were redirected by property tax A to property tax B are particularly affected.

Owners of row houses in the region express a surprise of fully grown differences in property tax amounts, although the land and the houses are the same. For example, Lene Hjortskov from Reckum paid an amount of EUR 1,357.20 for property tax B in 2025, despite a reduction in the rate to 290 percent. Wolf-Dieter Hiltner criticizes the different standard guidelines in the community, which have led to an increase in property tax by 24.1 percent. He expresses dissatisfaction with the fairness of the reform and the used calculation methods. Andreas Rißler and Roland Maier Holzknecht also report considerable additional burdens, while Holger Körner from Groß Köhren has experienced a quarters of his property tax.

reactions of the municipal representatives

The eight member communities of the Harpstedt community have partially adapted the lifting rates to avoid economic disadvantages for the citizens. Fleck mayor Stefan Wachholder sees the reform as an opportunity for a fairer tax distribution and indicates that the lifting rates in Harpstedt have not been increased. Jörg Schafmeyer demands more transparency regarding the overall effects on property tax revenue. A conversation between the mayor Yves Nagel and Stefecken Mayor Stefan Wachholder is planned for tomorrow to bring further clarity into the matter.

The reform of the property tax was necessary according to a judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court of 2018, since the old evaluation method was considered unconstitutional. The property has been reassessed since January 1, 2025. This also includes a change in the calculation method, which is based on land guidelines and rental income. Together with the surveys, the income from property tax, which is over 15 billion euros annually, flow to cities and municipalities and finance schools, day care centers and the municipal infrastructure. The details of the new regulation can be read at Federal Finance Ministry.de