Germans back tax on bankers’ bonuses
A majority of Germans support a special tax on the bonuses earned by bankers in the wake of the global financial crisis, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
Fifty-six percent of the survey participants backed the introduction of a one-time tax on the country’s captains of finance in a poll of 1,000 people by weekly magazine Stern.
Another 36 percent opposed milking bankers for a bit of extra cash and eight percent of those surveyed had no opinion on the matter.
Earlier this month the UK decided to levy a 50-percent tax on bankers’ bonuses that exceed £25,000 ($40,700) annually. France is considering the introduction of a similar special surcharge on bonuses.
But Chancellor Angela Merkel said last week it would be unconstitutional to do the same in Germany. Meanwhile the country’s have bankers said they would adhere to guidelines for salaries and bonuses recommended by the G20 summit this autumn.
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Fifty-six percent of the survey participants backed the introduction of a one-time tax on the country’s captains of finance in a poll of 1,000 people by weekly magazine Stern.
Another 36 percent opposed milking bankers for a bit of extra cash and eight percent of those surveyed had no opinion on the matter.
Earlier this month the UK decided to levy a 50-percent tax on bankers’ bonuses that exceed £25,000 ($40,700) annually. France is considering the introduction of a similar special surcharge on bonuses.
But Chancellor Angela Merkel said last week it would be unconstitutional to do the same in Germany. Meanwhile the country’s have bankers said they would adhere to guidelines for salaries and bonuses recommended by the G20 summit this autumn.
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