Citizens' request in Kassel: Hoteliers defend themselves against accommodation tax!

Citizens' request in Kassel: Hoteliers defend themselves against accommodation tax!

In Kassel there is resistance to the planned introduction of an overnight stay. The pensioner, a renowned hotel, has launched a citizens' request together with 18 other hoteliers. The aim is to collect 4,501 signatures in order to bring about a citizens' decision on the controversial tax. The city of Kassel plans to introduce the tax to the net accommodation price for non-duties with a set of 5% from June 1, 2025. These income should be used to finance the tourist infrastructure in the city, such as hessenschau.de reported.

The expectation of the city administration, however, is that the citizens' decision cannot stop the introduction of tax. Attorney Christian Franz has confirmed that such a levy cannot be the subject of a citizens' request, since it is a statutory municipal levy. Instead, the citizens' request could be carried out as a citizen survey in a different form. The directors of the Renthof, including Jasmin Ohlendorf, have the view that the legal framework for such a tax is not applicable. Although you consider legal action, the city council is not very impressed by the concerns of the hoteliers.

criticism of the tax and possible consequences

The plans for overnight taxes encounter broad criticism, especially from the SPD and the Kassel-Marburg (IHK) Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The latter warns of sustainable weakening the Kassel location. According to a survey by the IHK, the costly consequences of the tax are already taking effect: 71% of the companies surveyed are planning to search for alternatives outside of Kassel in the event of an increase in price. This development could have significant consequences for downtown Kassel and retail. Fewer tourists mean less revenues, which could potentially lead to closures of numerous businesses.

In the discussion about the overnight tax, the accommodation industry shaken by the Corona pandemic is also mentioned. This already suffers from the economic effects of the crisis. Thomas Nähler, spokesman for the community of interests of the Kassel hotel industry, appeals to the city to refrain from the introduction of the tax. The introduction of an accommodation tax is often used as a potential inhibitory for the tourist attractiveness, which not only affects the journey of tourists, but also could also burden the quality of stay and life on site for locals and employees.

legal framework and experiences from other cities

The topic of overnight tax is not new and has already been introduced in many German cities. This tax is considered to be constitutional, as the Federal Constitutional Court confirmed. In many cities, such as Cologne, the tax is usually around 5% of the overnight price. Cities such as Hamburg, Bremen and Freiburg have also introduced such taxes. It is important to know that the accommodation companies are responsible for collecting the tax and paying them to the city, while the guests themselves are often not directly burdened with the tax.

The upcoming introduction of overnight stay tax in Kassel brings numerous challenges. While the city administration wants to promote infrastructure, the hoteliers and many local companies fear that this could lead to a decline in tourists and thus also the income. An uncertain future of the Kassel economic landscape is at stake, while the hoteliers continue to hope for a positive turn in the discussion.