The introduction of a special tax on high additional profits from energy companies remains highly controversial in the coalition.
The SPD leader Saskia Esken renewed the demand for such an excess profit tax in the ARD “Morgenmagazin” on Friday.
It is about companies that make excessive profits without their own performance and innovation, "i.e. profit from the crisis".
The state should skim off this in order to relieve citizens and small companies.
A spokesman for Olaf Scholz (SPD) said at the beginning of August that an excess profit tax was not currently an issue for the Chancellor.
Esken admitted that such a tax is not in the coalition agreement.
But that is also the case with other measures that must now be taken in the crisis.
Reference to high corporate taxes
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai warned that such a tax would "massively damage" the business location.
It would have enormous consequences for investments and jobs, said Djir-Saai in the ARD "Morgenmagazin".
Profits are already heavily taxed in Germany.
With regard to an excess profit tax, the FDP politician spoke of arbitrary taxation that would open the door to further arbitrary measures.
In the current ARD “Germany Trend” a clear majority of Germans are in favor of such a tax.
76 percent think they are correct, 19 percent reject them.
Supporters of all parties, including the FDP, overwhelmingly agree.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres had also called for greater taxation of energy company profits.
Guterres called it "immoral" that oil and gas companies profited from this crisis with record profits.