Merkel Party Floats Higher Taxes on Rich in Coalition Ally Bid
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Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party signaled it’s ready to raise taxes on high earners as she seeks talks with opposition Social Democrats to secure a third term.
Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble declined in a newspaper interview to rule out higher taxes. Norbert Barthle, a lawmaker with Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, said he would back a higher tax rate for incomes of more than 53,000 euros ($71,560) to fund relief for lower earners without increasing Germans’ total income-tax burden.