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Berlin (dpa) - No New Year's Eve blasts in the shops, soon fewer plastic bags and a tax lump sum for the home office - the Federal Council passed some resolutions at its last meeting of the year that citizens will feel immediately.
Now the Chamber of States is taking a longer break.
The next meeting is not planned until mid-February.
The most important decisions taken on Friday:
EEG REFORM: The reform of the Renewable Energy Sources Act for a faster expansion of green electricity can come into force on January 1st.
Among other things, it should facilitate the continued operation of old wind turbines and solar systems, which should actually no longer be subsidized after 20 years.
In addition, obstacles to the construction of new wind power and solar systems are being removed.
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NEW YEAR'S EVE BANGERS: This year no firecrackers and rockets may be sold before New Year's Eve.
The aim is to reduce the number of accidents so that hospitals can better take care of the many corona patients.
Anyone who already has bangers at home can theoretically ignite them in most places, but the Prime Minister and Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) advise against it.
Fireworks are also prohibited in certain places.
PLASTIC BAGS: From January 2022, plastic bags will be banned at checkouts.
This applies to the standard bags that you get when you go shopping, but not to stable reusable bags and the thin plastic bags that you find at the fruit and vegetable stand.
Some shops no longer offer disposable plastic bags at the checkout, but instead rely on alternatives made of paper, cardboard boxes or fabric.
HOME OFFICE AT TAX: If you work from home during the Corona crisis, you can now claim your expenses more easily in your tax return.
You can set 5 euros per day in the home office, but a maximum of 600 euros per year.
The special regulation applies to the years 2020 and 2021. However, the sum is part of the income-related expenses, for which all taxpayers are credited with a flat rate of 1000 euros.
Only those who spend over 1000 euros here benefit from the special corona rule.
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SUBSIDIES TO SHORT-WORKING BENEFIT: If the employer increases the short-time work benefit, this subsidy remains tax-free.
VOLUNTEERING: The tax-free flat rate for trainers, from which youth coaches in sports clubs benefit, increases from 2400 euros to 3000 euros per year.
In addition, an expense allowance for voluntary activities of up to 840 euros per year will remain tax-free in the future and not only - as currently - up to a limit of 720 euros.
FEDERAL BUDGET: The Federal Council approved the federal budget for 2021. This includes spending of almost half a trillion euros - and new debts of almost 180 billion.
This is mainly due to the continued high costs caused by the corona pandemic.
The Bundestag had therefore suspended the debt brake in the Basic Law.
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Slaughterhouses: In the meat industry, stricter regulations will apply in the future.
In order to prevent exploitation and risky working conditions, the use of subcontractors with Eastern European low-wage workers is prohibited from January.
There should be no more work contracts.
There are exceptions for medium-sized sausage and meat product manufacturers at certain times, such as the barbecue season.
OLD CARE: The Federal Council gave the green light for 20,000 new jobs in nursing, hundreds of additional positions in obstetrics and a state injection of funds for health insurance companies.
STASI FILES: The Stasi files are transferred to the Federal Archives, but remain accessible to citizens, the media and academia.
So people can continue to ask whether the documents contain information about themselves.
In future, this should also be possible digitally and at other locations.
LEGAL COSTS: Consumers face higher costs in legal disputes.
Both court costs and the minimum wage for lawyers are increasing.
When going to court there are also costs for compensation for witnesses, experts, interpreters, translators or honorary judges.
The exact court costs depend on the amount in dispute - the higher the more expensive.
ADOPTIONS: Anyone who wants to adopt their stepchild must seek advice in the future.
However, exceptions apply to lesbian couples whose desired child is born into their marriage or partnership.
At the same time, adoptions abroad were generally prohibited on their own.
COLLECTION: The collection fees decrease for debtors of small amounts.
In the case of small claims of up to 50 euros, the costs for the debtor may not be higher than the claim itself.
INSOLVENCIES: It is easier for over-indebted companies and consumers to restart after a bankruptcy.
In future, they will generally be released from their residual debts after three years instead of six.
So that those who got into financial difficulties as a result of the corona pandemic also benefit, the retrospective applies to insolvency proceedings applied for from October 1st.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201218-99-745834 / 2