The city of Mülheim is considering the introduction of a horse tax

Mülheim is led by a CDU/SPD coalition. According to WDR information, the budget lacks between 70 and 80 million euros. Saving measures are one thing to plug the holes, new sources of income are another. According to the CDU/SPD, the horse tax could contribute to the solution.

A review process is currently underway to find out how much revenue can be expected and what the costs would be. Opposition to this

The opposition is less than convinced of the benefits of the horse tax. WDR quotes the Green Party councillor Björn Maue. He says: “The horse tax is cheese. The administrative costs would be too high compared to the revenue. Someone has to count the animals.”

Hesse has (for the most part) refrained, Reutlingen has not

The poor cost-benefit ratio is precisely the reason why many municipalities in Hesse that have looked into the issue of the horse tax or even tried out its introduction have refrained from doing so. With the exception of Schlangenbad. This is currently the only municipality in Hesse that levies a horse tax.

In Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, the decision was also made to introduce them at the end of March.

The WDR also states that riders in NRW already have to pay fees. According to the State Nature Conservation Act, anyone wishing to use bridleways requires a “valid license plate”. Such a sticker costs 38.40 euros when first issued and then 30.40 euros for each additional year of use. However, the fee is earmarked for the maintenance and development of bridleways.

Arguments against the horse tax

When politicians have money problems, the taxpayer always has to step in. That’s nothing new. In the case of the horse tax, it is not only the poor cost-benefit balance that speaks against it, but also the fact that it hits those who can least afford the associated price increases the hardest: Children and young people.

Jürgen Schütz, head of the Oberhausen/Mülheim district association of equestrian sports clubs, explains: “Around half of riders are under the age of 21. If a tax is added now, the prices for riding lessons are likely to rise and will be difficult to pay.”

Jürgen Schütz underlines his argument with the FN study, which shows how character-building equestrian sport is, especially for young people.

You can find an overview of the topic on the FN homepage here.