The overdue reform of property tax is progressing step by step.
After the deadline was extended until the end of January, more than three quarters of taxpayers in Hesse have now accepted the inevitable.
Despite the sometimes laborious task of entering the required data, there was little excitement.
It cannot be said that a completely freaked out bureaucracy would have requested an insurmountable mass of absurd data;
those who had their documents together did not come up against inhuman hurdles.
The end of the filing deadline, which is now not formally, but in fact extended until Easter - only then is a warning threatened - represents only the first hurdle that has to be overcome on the way to the new tax.
Next, the property tax assessments are sent out, which show the value that the tax authorities attach to the property.
But the day of truth will be the one when the first tax bill from the respective municipality arrives.
We will come back to the regularly repeated oath of those responsible in the municipalities not to use the innovations for a general increase in local property tax revenue.
Because of course there is a great temptation in the town halls to allow oneself additional income on this once-in-a-century opportunity, especially since any comparison with previous years is difficult due to economic changes, which also do not completely ignore the predominantly constant flow of property tax.
The excitement caused by higher tax payments in individual cases (those who have to pay less than before will know how to keep quiet) is hard to imagine.
In principle, however, there is no way around the new property tax.
There is no one, only fair calculation model, all have advantages and disadvantages.
It is one of the oldest taxes of all, it is extremely important for the municipalities.
They do a lot for the citizens.
Then they have to be able to finance themselves.