The state government wants to merge the tax offices in several major Hessian cities.

This is what it says in a draft law that the state parliament will most likely pass in its next session with the votes of the black-green coalition.

The structural reform provides, for example, that the tax offices Frankfurt I to IV and the Höchst location will be merged into one large authority with around 1200 posts.

In three other large cities, the two offices that exist there will be amalgamated.

The resulting new authorities have 540 posts in Wiesbaden, 400 in Offenbach and 630 in Kassel.

Ewald Hetrodt

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung in Wiesbaden.

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The explanatory memorandum for the draft law speaks of “far-reaching structural effects both in the office and in the field”.

Multiple structures would be abandoned, synergy potential would be realized.

This would create better opportunities for the uniform application of the law.

The mergers are also intended to make the work of the Ministry of Finance easier - for “better performance of technical and service supervisory tasks by the superior authorities”.

Service posts should be valued higher financially

With the size of the new authorities, the demands on the senior officials also increased, according to the reasoning behind the project.

In view of the increasing complexity of legislation and case law at national and international level, the tasks would become more demanding.

That is why posts should be valued higher financially.

This is the reason that the plan can now be found as an amendment request in the "Third Act to Change Service Regulations".

The law passed the deliberations in the interior committee and is expected to be passed in the plenary session of the state parliament in the second half of November.

The tax administration has been reforming its structures since 2017, a spokeswoman for the finance ministry said on Tuesday. This increases the "effectiveness in the fight for more tax justice and against tax crime". The mergers would create sustainable structures for the special challenges of the metropolitan areas. The employees will be given the opportunity to specialize more in larger teams than before.

The Hessian state chairman of the tax union, Michale Volz, was satisfied.

One would be grateful for opportunities for personnel development, if that would create opportunities for advancement.

However, this must apply to all careers, not just the higher ones.

In addition, it is not sufficient to anchor the project only in the Civil Service Act.

It must also be covered in the household.

chances and risks

The planned mergers offer opportunities and risks.

They put an end to the situation that in Frankfurt, for example, you can only really have a career in one office.

But a “mega-agency” like the one to be created there is also a challenge in view of its size.

There value must be placed on a "good communication culture".

According to Volz, “at first glance”, Volz does not see the danger that the abolition of multiple structures and the realization of synergy potentials could lead to job cuts.

He doesn't think the country will give in to the fight against tax evaders.

In addition, it is also about guaranteeing good service to ordinary citizens.

However, the FDP parliamentary group criticized the project.

It will be expensive for taxpayers because the number of highly paid top positions should increase, said the budgetary spokeswoman for the Liberals, Marion Schardt-Sauer.

In this picture it fits that the state government has so far refrained from a high-profile marketing.