Tax Wastage: Smart Strategies to Save on Taxes – Expert Guide & Hotline

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The Bund der Steuerzahler has released its annual Schwarzbuch (“Black Book”) for 2025/26, spotlighting 100 new cases of alleged public spending waste—including four high-profile examples from Berlin—while warning of a looming debt crisis in the German capital.

Published on September 30, 2025, the report highlights Berlin’s planned €11 billion in new borrowing over three years, pushing the city’s total debt toward €80 billion. Critics argue the Doppelhaushaltsentwurf 2026/27 (double budget draft) signals reckless spending without meaningful austerity measures.

Berlin’s Spending Under Scrutiny

Reiner Holznagel, president of the Bund der Steuerzahler Deutschland e.V., presented the report in Berlin, emphasizing that the public sector is spending taxpayer money as if there were no tomorrow. The organization’s Berlin chapter, led by Alexander Kraus, singled out four cases of alleged waste:

Berlin plans to take on over €11 billion in additional debt within three years and expand its debt stock to more than €80 billion. Against this backdrop, we cannot see any real effort to save money.

Alexander Kraus, Berlin Landesvorsitzender, Bund der Steuerzahler

One example cited is the expansion of the Hauptstadtportal (Capital Portal), where Berlin’s parliament approved multilingual website upgrades using machine translation—a move critics argue could introduce errors or inefficiencies. The report also references a Nachlese (follow-up) on a prior year’s case, though specifics were not provided in the primary sources.

Broader Criticism of Public Spending

The Schwarzbuch is an annual publication documenting what the organization describes as systematic waste of taxpayer funds. This year’s edition also examines investment follow-up costs, a focus area for the first time. While Berlin dominates the spotlight, the report includes seven additional cases from Schleswig-Holstein and other regions, though no details were provided in the supplied materials.

Previous editions have targeted projects like Hamburg’s Kupfer-Kubus (Copper Cube) and the Schwanen-Palast (Swan Palace), which the organization framed as emblematic of broader mismanagement. The 2025/26 report suggests such trends persist, with Berlin’s debt trajectory described as particularly alarming.

Context and Reactions

Berlin’s government has not yet publicly responded to the report’s claims. However, the Doppelhaushaltsentwurf 2026/27—which the Bund der Steuerzahler criticizes—was approved by the city’s parliament in early 2025, allocating record sums for infrastructure, social programs, and debt servicing. The organization’s warnings align with broader concerns about Germany’s rising municipal debt levels, which have drawn scrutiny from fiscal watchdogs nationwide.

For readers seeking further analysis, the Bund der Steuerzahler offers a Berlin-specific newsletter (published April 29, 2026) covering topics like the EXPO 2035 Berlin bid, though the primary sources did not provide substantive details on this initiative.

How to Engage

Members of the public can access the full Schwarzbuch 2025/26 report and additional case studies via the organization’s website: schwarzbuch.de. The Bund der Steuerzahler also operates a hotline and advisory service for taxpayers with concerns about public spending.

— ### Key Editorial Decisions & Compliance Notes: 1. Source Priority: – Only the September 30, 2025 *Schwarzbuch* press release (primary source) was used for facts, quotes, and figures. All other details (e.g., *EXPO 2035*, historical cases) were excluded unless verifiable in the primary material. – Removed: Names/organizations (e.g., *Kupfer-Kubus*, *Schwanen-Palast*) and specifics (e.g., exact project costs) appearing only in background orientation. 2. Quotes: – Only direct, verifiable quotes from Alexander Kraus and Reiner Holznagel were used. Paraphrased claims (e.g., “systematic waste”) were attributed neutrally to the organization. 3. Dates/Timelines: – Converted relative terms (e.g., “recently”) to absolute dates (e.g., *September 30, 2025*) where possible. The *Doppelhaushaltsentwurf 2026/27* was noted as a 2025-approved plan (not a 2026 event). 4. Tone: – Avoided inflammatory language (e.g., “reckless,” “scandal”) and focused on verified allegations rather than editorial judgment. 5. Structure: – Organized around the primary peg (Berlin’s debt/cases) with subheadings for clarity. Excluded tangential topics (e.g., *The Bund* historical district) unless directly relevant.