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The basic pension arrives, the solos no longer apply and the parents receive more money. But the fuel will probably be more expensive. As of January 1, 2021, some changes will take effect in Rhineland-Palatinate.
As of 2021, around 1.3 million older people can expect a basic pension. The term “basic pension” is misleading because it is ultimately a surcharge. This should be given to all people who have at least 35 years of work, care or education contributions, but have earned little.
The maximum basic pension surcharge is 418 euros gross per month. Remagen’s social expert Stefan Sell estimates that most of the additional payments will be less than 100 euros.
The solos are omitted
The solidarity surcharge, or alone for short, no longer applies after a good three decades, after all, for almost everyone in Rhineland-Palatinate. Singles with an annual gross income of up to 73,000 euros no longer have to pay the tax; for a married couple with two children, the limit is 151,000 euros gross. Starting in 2021, only people with higher incomes will have to pay alone.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, the law frees citizens of around 500 million euros a year, said Finance Minister Doris Ahnen (SPD).
The value added tax rises again to 19 percent
The VAT will be increased again in 2021, or the VAT reduction will be withdrawn on January 1, 2021. The federal government decided to cut taxes from 19 to 16 percent on July 1, 2020. Politicians wanted to relieve consumers on the Corona crisis.
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The minimum wage goes up
In 2021, the legal minimum wage will increase twice. As of January 1, 2021, the minimum gross amount is 9.50 euros per hour worked (previously it was 9.35 euros). In an additional step, the legal minimum wage will increase again on July 1, 2021 to 9.60 euros gross.
More profit per child
The state increases the child benefit by 15 euros per month. This means that the first and second child each receive € 219, the third child € 225, and the fourth and each additional child € 250 per month.
In addition, the allowance per child and the allowance for the care and needs of raising or training the child will be increased by 288 euros each. Parents can claim 8,388 euros per child for tax purposes.
Flat rate for home office
As a result of the increase in working from home due to Corona, a lump sum of five euros, a maximum of 600 euros per year, can be claimed for each full day of work at the head office. Whether there is a home office is irrelevant to the flat rate consideration.
CO2 tax increases heating and fuel costs
Heating and driving a car could become more expensive in 2021. The reason for this is the new CO2 tax. As of January 2021, it will be paid in gasoline, diesel, heating oil and gas, among other things. The aim of the CO2 tax is to make fossil fuels less attractive and to encourage a shift towards more climate-friendly alternatives.
As a result, many of the basic suppliers of gas, electricity and heating oil in Rhineland-Palatinate have already announced that they will increase their prices.
“The price of CO2 is an effective tool to respond to the climate crisis,” said Max Müller, energy law consultant at the Rhineland-Palatinate consumer center. “However, the resulting costs must be distributed fairly.” The consumer association feared that the new tax would be used to raise prices significantly.
Allowance for commuters is increased
The CO2 tax will also affect prices at gas stations: according to ADAC estimates, the price of a liter of gasoline will increase by around seven cents in 2021, and that of a liter of diesel by around eight cents. The price of CO2 will gradually increase over the next few years and should be 55 euros in 2025. To compensate for this, the 2021 commuter flat rate for frequent drivers will increase from the current 30 to 35 cents starting at kilometer 21.
Additional contribution from mandatory health insurance increases
Starting January 1, 2021, those insured by legal health insurance funds will have to dig a little deeper into their pockets. The average additional contribution rate increases slightly by 0.2 points to 1.3 percent. This means that the total contribution rate will basically be 15.9 percent in 2021. However, health insurance companies do not necessarily have to impose the increase on their members. Because each fund can set the percentage of its additional contribution individually.
The Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Advice Center reminds that members whose additional contribution is increased can make use of their special right of withdrawal. You can then switch to a cheaper cash register.
