The state cuts taxes, but fuel prices remain high. The suspicion: The oil multinationals put money in their own pockets. According to the Ifo Institute, however, this is not the case.
According to calculations by the Ifo Institute, the oil companies, which have been criticized for rising petrol prices, have largely passed on the tank discount to motorists.
In the case of diesel, the gas stations would have passed on 100 percent of the temporary tax reduction of 17 cents per liter, the Munich economists said. At Super it was 85 percent of 35 cents lower taxes.
The calculations were based on a comparison with France, where there is no tank discount. Gasoline has become steadily more expensive there in recent weeks as a result of rising oil prices. In Germany, on the other hand, petrol prices initially fell sharply before picking up again. Most recently, the ADAC had criticized that the tax cut would largely go to the oil companies.
Ifo President Clemens Fuest criticized the tank discount as a tax gift for the wealthy. “It will benefit people with higher incomes and higher spending on fuel, not people with lower incomes,” Fuest wrote in the statement. “In addition, he sets the wrong incentives: He does not encourage people to use less petrol and diesel. For ecological reasons and to reduce dependence on Russia, the exact opposite would be necessary.” (dpa)