The Finance Committee - Deutscher Bundestag
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The Finance Committee
2
“The Finance Committee deals with
the tax system and seeks to ensure
a fair balance between government
revenues and the tax burden on
the public. It therefore has a major
influence on our country’s eco-
nomic power. In the current elec-
toral term, the taxation of digital
business models is an important
issue. In addition, the further
development of European financial
markets regulation is at the centre
of the Committee’s work. The
aim is to achieve stable financial
markets which enable people to
accumulate wealth, which supply
businesses with the capital they
require, and which facilitate
innovation.”
Bettina Stark-Watzinger, FDP
Chairwoman
of the Finance Committee
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The German Bundestag’s
decisions are prepared by its
committees, which are estab-
lished at the start of each elec-
toral term. Four of them are
stipulated by the Basic Law,
the German constitution: the
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
the Defence Committee, the
Committee on the Affairs of
the European Union and the
Petitions Committee. The
Budget Committee and the
Committee for the Rules of
Procedure are also required
by law. The spheres of respon-
sibility of the committees
essentially reflect the Federal
Government’s distribution of
ministerial portfolios. This
enables Parliament to scruti-
nise the government’s work
effectively.
The Bundestag committees
The German Bundestag sets
political priorities of its own
by establishing additional
committees for specific sub-
jects, such as sport, cultural
affairs or tourism. In addition,
special bodies such as parlia-
mentary advisory councils, The committees discuss and
committees of inquiry or deliberate on items referred
study commissions can also to them by the plenary. They
be established. The commit- also have the right to take up
tees are composed of mem- issues on their own initiative,
bers of all the parliamentary allowing them to set priorities
groups, reflecting the balance in the parliamentary debate.
of these groups in the German When necessary, they draw
Bundestag. The distribution on external expertise – usu-
of the chairs and deputy ally by holding public hear-
chairs among the parliamen- ings. At the end of a commit-
tary groups also reflects their tee’s deliberations, a majority
relative strengths in the ple- of its members adopt a recom-
nary. In the current electoral mendation for a decision and
term, the committees have a report, which serve as the
between nine and 49 mem- basis for the plenary’s deci-
bers. sion.
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Whenever money matters are
at stake, the Finance Com
mittee has an important role
to play. With 41 members, it
is one of the “heavyweights”
among the Bundestag’s com-
mittees. Chaired by Bettina
Stark-Watzinger (FDP), it is
the lead committee for all
items connected with tax pol-
icy, the money and capital
markets, customs, and other
financial policy issues. With
the exception of budgetary
policy, the Finance Commit-
tee therefore oversees all
developments within the
jurisdiction of the Federal
Ministry of Finance.
Bills, motions, reports, reso
lutions and numerous items
from the European Union pile
up in the Committee members’
in-trays. Their work may
sound dry, but all human life
is there. Again and again, they
discuss tax cuts that will
reduce the burden on citizens
and businesses, and the tax
revenues that enable the state
The Finance Committeeare made frequently inspire
new draft legislation, which is
ultimately scrutinised by the
Finance Committee. The Com-
to meet its obligations. Inter- mittee’s deliberations are usu-
national taxation issues, such ally preceded by long public
as the fight against base ero- debates. However, the serious
sion and profit shifting, are business really starts when a
receiving growing attention piece of draft legislation is
from the Committee in the era issued as a printed paper and
of an ever more global econ- delivered to the Finance Com-
omy and the digital revo mittee. Bills hardly ever leave
lution. At the same time, the the Committee unamended.
renewal of the financial mar- Experts in financial policy
ket architecture launched from all the parliamentary
after the 2008 financial crisis groups weigh up the pros and
remains on the Committee’s cons of each initiative in their
agenda. The continuing devel- party working groups and
opment of the European bank- then in the full Committee.
ing union is a key element Finally, the Committee
in this. Likewise, rules to informs the plenary about the
improve investor and con- results of its deliberations in
sumer protection in financial the form of a report and rec-
services and to promote the ommendation for a decision
further integration of capital on the bill, which serves as
markets are being initiated at the basis for the vote in the
EU level. The suggestions that plenary.
14 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ CDU/CSU
9 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ SPD
5 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ AfD
5 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ FDP
4 ■ ■ ■ ■ The Left Party
4 ■ ■ ■ ■ Alliance 90/The Greens
Number of members: 41
Chairwoman: Bettina Stark-Watzinger, FDP
Deputy Chairman: Albrecht Glaser, AfD
7The tax revenue forecasts
issued by the Federal Govern-
ment appear regularly on the
Finance Committee’s sched-
ule as well. Twice a year, the
The Finance Committee’s Federal Ministry of Finance’s
agenda also features many Working Party on Tax Reve-
items on which it is asked for nue Forecasting publishes
its opinion. When the special- important data about pro-
ised committees that deal jected future tax revenues.
with environmental, transport This is part of the parliamen-
or agricultural policy are tary oversight of financial
discussing biofuels, aviation policy, which also includes
fuel or agricultural diesel, the briefings the Committee
for instance, the Bundestag’s receives from the Federal
financial policy specialists are Ministry of Finance about
also called upon to consider the meetings of the ECOFIN
the tax aspects of the items in Council, where the EU Mem-
question. In these cases, the ber States’ economic affairs
Finance Committee delivers and finance ministers take
its recommendations to the far-reaching decisions on
lead committee for each item. behalf of all EU countries.
8The Committee’s members
study documentation inten- Banking regulation, measures
sively before deliberating on to prevent the transfer of
an item. Above all, however, profits abroad, action against
the members of the Commit- money laundering, and
tee are given opportunities to Cameroon – the Committee’s
make up their own minds at work in practice
consultations and public hear-
ings with experts. The experts The creation of a European
invited by the Committee are banking union may have little
nominated by the parliamen- in common with a bill inten
tary groups, and tend to be ded to regulate the exchange
academics, representatives of information in tax matters
of interest groups, and trade with Cameroon. Yet both sub-
unionists. They comment on jects have appeared on the
the subjects of the hearings Finance Committee’s agenda.
and help to ensure that the They show the diversity of the
consequences a piece of legis- topics considered by the Com-
lation will have for all groups mittee. At one meeting, it may
in society are made quite find itself looking at the infor-
explicit. The Finance Com- mation which financial ser-
mittee held 47 public hear- vice providers are required to
ings and consultations in the disclose to their customers or
last electoral term alone, and action to tackle money laun-
is continuing to hold public dering, while at the next it
hearings on draft legislation discusses the VAT system or
in the current electoral term. the design of inheritance tax.
9The OECD’s Action Plan on
Base Erosion and Profit Shift-
ing is giving rise, in several
steps, to European directives
and regulations, and the
Finance Committee engages in
intensive discussions on their
implementation in German
law.
The Finance Committee delib- With regard to the regulation
erates on important and often of the financial markets, the
lengthy regulations and Committee discusses items
motions on tax law. These intended to enhance trans
include the “Annual Tax Act” parency and consumer pro
bringing together the tax tection, such as the Act to
adjustments necessary for Ensure Stable and Fair Benefit
each new tax year, or the vari- Payments for Life Insurance
ous information exchange Policyholders, the Act Imple-
agreements and double taxa- menting the EU Deposit Guar-
tion agreements with other antee Schemes Directive or
countries. Bills and motions the Retail Investor Protection
to amend the VAT Act, the Act. The Committee also deals
Corporation Tax Act or the with various bills and motions
Income Tax Act feature on the containing important meas-
Committee’s agenda, as do ures to stabilise the financial
more specific tax regulations sector and to prevent future
such as the taxation of sports financial crises, or to at least
betting or changes to the ensure that such crises do not
Insurance Tax Act or the weigh on the public purse.
Motor Vehicle Tax Act. Prominent examples of such
10The items on financial market
regulation, but also motions
and bills relating to tax law
and other areas such as action
against money laundering,
measures include the Act show that in the field of finan-
Adapting National Bank Reso- cial policy there is a growing
lution Law to the Single Reso- interdependence between
lution Mechanism and the national legislation in the
European Bank Levy Provi- German Bundestag and EU
sions (Resolution Mechanism legislation. Many of the bills
Act) or the Act Implementing considered by the Finance
the EU Directive Establishing Committee deal with the
a Framework for the Recovery implementation of EU direc-
and Resolution of Credit Insti- tives or regulations. The
tutions and Investment Firms members of the Finance Com
(BRRD Implementation Act). mittee therefore hold very
In the current electoral term, detailed discussions on indi-
the Finance Committee is vidual EU legislative projects
once again deliberating on concerning financial policy,
motions and bills which aim in order to scrutinise the main
to put in place additional lines of European policy in
elements of a resilient and this area and to help shape it,
consumer-friendly financial where appropriate, by provid-
system. ing input of their own.
11Bettina Albrecht Glaser, AfD
Stark-Watzinger, FDP Deputy Chairman
Chairwoman Lawyer, former city
Economist, treasurer,
b. 12 May 1968 b. 8 Jan. 1942
in Frankfurt am Main; in Worms;
married; two children. married; four children.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2017 since 2017
Committee members
The 41 members of the Finance Committee
12Sebastian Brehm, Dr Carsten Brodesser,
CDU/CSU CDU/CSU Uwe Feiler, CDU/CSU
Tax adviser, Economist, Financial administrator,
b. 18 Oct. 1971 b. 5 Sep. 1967 b. 2 Nov. 1965
in Nuremberg; in Lindlar; married; in Winsen (Luhe);
two children. three children. married; three children.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2017 since 2017 since 2013
Fritz Güntzler,
CDU/CSU Olav Gutting, Matthias Hauer,
Auditor, tax adviser, CDU/CSU CDU/CSU
b. 6 May 1966 Lawyer, Lawyer,
in Cuxhaven; b. 14 Oct. 1970 b. 18 Dec. 1977
married; in Karlsruhe; in Hattingen;
two children. married; one child. unmarried.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2013 since 2002 since 2013
13Dr h.c. Hans
Michelbach,
CDU/CSU
Dr Thomas CDU/CSU spokesman
de Maizière, on the Committee Sepp Müller,
CDU/CSU Entrepreneur, CDU/CSU
Lawyer, former Federal former mayor, Bank business
Minister of the Interior, b. 3 May 1949 administrator,
b. 21 Jan. 1954 in Gemünden am Main; b. 22 Jan. 1989 in
in Bonn; married; married; Lutherstadt Wittenberg;
three children. three children. unmarried; one child.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2009 since 1994 since 2017
Christian
Freiherr von Stetten,
Alexander Radwan, Johannes Steiniger, CDU/CSU
CDU/CSU CDU/CSU Business administrator,
Lawyer, engineer, Academic secondary entrepreneur,
b. 30 Aug. 1964 school teacher, b. 24 July 1970
in Munich; b. 18 June 1987 in Stuttgart;
unmarried. in Bad Dürkheim. married; one child.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2013 since 2013 since 2002
14Antje Tillmann,
CDU/CSU
Dr Hermann-Josef CDU/CSU spokes Ingrid Arndt-Brauer,
Tebroke, woman on financial SPD
CDU/CSU policy Business administrator,
Business administrator, Tax adviser, sociologist,
b. 19 Jan. 1964 b. 28 Aug. 1964 b. 20 Mar. 1961
in Rhede, Westphalia; in Düsseldorf; in Marburg;
married; four children. divorced; one child. married; four children.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2017 since 2002 since 1999
Lothar Binding,
SPD
SPD spokesman
on the Committee,
SPD spokesman
on financial policy
Electrical power Bernhard Daldrup, Dr Wiebke Esdar,
engineer, SPD SPD
mathematician, Executive, Psychologist,
b. 1 Apr. 1950 b. 1 June 1956 b. 11 Feb. 1984
in Sandershausen; in Sendenhorst; in Bielefeld;
married; two children. married; two children. unmarried.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 1998 since 2013 since 2017
15Metin Hakverdi, Cansel Kiziltepe, Sarah Ryglewski,
SPD SPD SPD
Lawyer, Economist, Political scientist,
b. 25 June 1969 b. 8 Oct. 1975 in Berlin; b. 31 Jan. 1983
in Hamburg. two children. in Cologne.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2013 since 2013 since 2015
Franziska Gminder,
AfD
Michael Schrodi, Business administrator,
SPD b. 4 Feb. 1945
Academic secondary Dr Jens Zimmermann, in Gablonz an der
school teacher, SPD Neiße
b. 3 July 1977 Business administrator, (now Jablonec nad
in Munich; b. 9 Sep. 1981 Nisou);
married; two children. in Groß-Umstadt; married; three children.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2017 since 2013 since 2017
16Kay Gottschalk,
AfD
AfD spokesman on the Stefan Keuter,
Committee Dr Bruno Hollnagel, AfD
Business administrator, AfD Bank clerk, business
bank clerk, Economist, administrator,
b. 12 Dec. 1965 b. 13 Jan. 1948 b. 19 Aug. 1972
in Hamburg; in Hamburg; in Essen;
unmarried. married; three children. divorced.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2017 since 2017 since 2017
Markus Herbrand, Katja Hessel, Frank Schäffler,
FDP FDP FDP
Financial administrator, Lawyer, specialist in Business administrator,
tax adviser, tax law, b. 22 Dec. 1968
b. 24 Feb. 1971 b. 5 May 1972 in Schwäbisch Gmünd;
in Schleiden; in Nuremberg; married; two children.
married. married. Bundestag Member
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member from 2005 to 2013 and
since 2017 since 2017 since 2017
17Fabio De Masi,
Dr Florian Toncar, The Left Party
FDP The Left Party
FDP spokesman spokesman on the
on the Committee, Committee,
FDP spokesman Jörg Cezanne, The Left Party
on financial policy The Left Party spokesman on
Lawyer, Executive, financial policy
b. 18 Oct. 1979 sociologist, Economist,
in Hamburg; b. 8 June 1958 b. 7 Mar. 1980
married; two children. in Frankfurt am Main; in Groß-Gerau;
Bundestag Member divorced; one child. unmarried; one child.
from 2005 to 2013 Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
and since 2017 since 2017 since 2017
Michael Leutert, Dr Danyal Bayaz,
The Left Party Hubertus Zdebel, Alliance 90/The Greens
Sociologist, The Left Party Business adviser,
b. 8 Aug. 1974 Journalist, b. 15 Oct. 1983
in Schlema; b. 29 Oct. 1954 in Heidelberg;
married; three children. in Elten, Emmerich. unmarried.
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member
since 2005 since 2013 since 2017
18Lisa Paus,
Alliance 90/The Greens
Alliance 90/The Greens
spokeswoman
on the Committee, Dr Wolfgang
Alliance 90/The Greens Stefan Schmidt, Strengmann-Kuhn,
spokeswoman Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens
on financial policy Teacher, Economist,
Economist, research assistant, b. 20 May 1964
b. 19 Sep. 1968 b. 19 May 1981 in Dinslaken;
in Rheine, Westphalia; in Freystadt; married; two children.
unmarried; one child. married; one child. Bundestag Member
Bundestag Member Bundestag Member from 2008 to 2013
since 2009 since 2017 and since 2014
19Information online
The Finance Committee
www.bundestag.de/en/committees/a07
The Federal Ministry of Finance
www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Web/EN
The Federal Fiscal Court
www.bundesfinanzhof.de
The Bundesrechnungshof (Supreme Audit Institution)
www.bundesrechnungshof.de/en
The Bundesbank
www.bundesbank.de/en
The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority
www.bafin.de/EN
The Federal Central Tax Office
www.bzst.de/EN
20Contact details for the Committee Secretariat
Deutscher Bundestag
Finanzausschuss
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Tel.: + 49 30 227-32468
Fax: + 49 30 227-36844
Email: finanzausschuss@bundestag.de
21Published by: German Bundestag, Public Relations Division Coordination: Robert Schönbrodt Texts: Georgia Rauer; revised by: Committees Directorate (p. 4 – 5), Secretariat of the Finance Committee (p. 6 – 21) Edited by: Katharina Frier-Obad Translated by: Language Service of the German Bundestag, in cooperation with Emma Hardie Design: Marc Mendelson Bundestag eagle: Created by Professor Ludwig Gies, revised in 2008 by büro uebele Photos: p. 2 Deutscher Bundestag (DBT) / Linus Lintner Fotografie; p. 8–9, 10, 11 DBT / Julia Nowak; p. 23 DBT / studio kohlmeier Portrait photos: p. 3, 12 Bettina Stark-Watzinger / Eva Zocher (Bettina Stark- Watzinger); p. 12 Albrecht Glaser / Fotostudio Orendt (Albrecht Glaser); p. 13 Michael Kraus (Sebastian Brehm); DBT / Thomas Köhler / photothek (Carsten Brodesser); Laurence Chaperon (Uwe Feiler); Fritz Güntzler / Mirko Phla (Fritz Güntzler); DBT / Julia Nowak (Olav Gutting); Matthias Hauer / Jan Kopetzky (Matthias Hauer); p. 14 Thomas de Maizière / Jan Kopetzky (Thomas de Maizière); Hans Michelbach / Tobias Koch (Hans Michelbach); DBT / Inga Haar (Sepp Müller); DBT / Inga Haar (Alexander Radwan); Tobias Koch (Johannes Steiniger); CDU Bundesgeschäftsstelle (Christian Freiherr von Stetten); p. 15 DBT / Julia Nowak (Hermann-Josef Tebroke); DBT / Julia Nowak (Antje Tillmann); DBT / Thomas Köhler / photothek (Ingrid Arndt- Brauer); DBT /Stella von Saldern (Lothar Binding); DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Bernhard Daldrup); DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Wiebke Esdar) p. 16 SPD Bundestagsfraktion / Susie Knoll (Metin Hakverdi); DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Cansel Kiziltepe); SPD Bundestagsfraktion / Susie Knoll (Sarah Ryglewski); SPD Bundestagsfraktion / Benno Kraehahn (Michael Schrodi); Marlene Bleicher (Jens Zimmermann); Franziska Gmin- der / Fotostudio Akzente (Franziska Gminder); p. 17 Kay Gottschalk / Sieg- fried Reffgen (Kay Gottschalk); DBT / Julia Nowak (Bruno Hollnagel); DBT / Julia Nowak (Stefan Keuter); DBT / Thomas Trutschel / photothek (Markus Herbrand); Frank Boxler (Katja Hessel); Frank Schäffler / Dilek Paul (Frank Schäffler); p. 18 Ulrich Schepp (Florian Toncar); DBT / Inga Haar (Jörg Cezanne); Die Linke Hamburg / Karin Desmarowitz (Fabio De Masi); DBT / Inga Haar (Michael Leutert); Die Linke im Bundestag (Hubertus Zdebel); DBT / Julia Nowak (Danyal Bayaz); p. 19 Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Bundestagsfraktion / Stefan Kaminski (Lisa Paus); DBT / Thomas Köhler / photothek (Stefan Schmidt); René Spalek Photography (Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn) Graphic: p. 7 Marc Mendelson Printed by: Druckhaus Waiblingen Remstal-Bote GmbH As at: January 2019 © Deutscher Bundestag, Berlin All rights reserved. This publication has been produced as part of the German Bundestag’s public relations activities. It is provided free of charge and is not intended for sale. It may not be used for election campaign purposes or utilised by parties or parliamentary groups in their own public relations activities.
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The German Bundestag takes decisions on what are at times highly complex and controversial bills and parliamentary initiatives relating to the entire spectrum of policy fields. The committees play a central role in parliamentary deliberations. They are the forum where the Members thrash out compromises and draw on expert advice before submitting their reports and recommendations for decisions to be voted on by the Bundestag as a whole. www.bundestag.de/en/committees
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