From Roundtable to Action Plan – Nadja Dwenger at a Meeting at the Federal Ministry of Finance [30.07.26]
Nadja Dwenger, professor of public economics at the University of Hohenheim, was invited to the Federal Ministry of Finance in Berlin in July. In the discussion on possible policy measures, she contributed her research expertise on tax enforcement and tax evasion—alongside the views of representatives from various NGOs who were also present—and explained the latest research findings on tax and financial crime. Input from the meeting has been fed into the Federal Ministry of Finance’s new action plan to fight financial crime.
Image: BMF/Photothek
On July 8, Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil hosted a roundtable discussion at the Federal Ministry of Finance on the topic of fighting tax and financial crime. Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig, state secretaries, and other representatives from both ministries and NGOs also participated in the discussion.
Nadja Dwenger, professor and head of the Chair of Public Economics at the University of Hohenheim, was invited to the roundtable as an expert on tax enforcement and tax evasion. There, she presented the findings of current research, particularly regarding the effectiveness of various policy measures to fight tax and financial crime.
Image: BMF/Photothek
As a result of the discussions, the Federal Minister of Finance and the Federal Minister of Justice have now presented an action plan against tax crime. The objective is to prosecute criminal networks more effectively and to punish particularly serious cases more consistently.
A key point of the plan is the proposed reinstatement of tax evasion as a criminal offense. This would allow for significantly higher penalties to be imposed on serious cases. To improve investigations and serve as a deterrent, the options for systematic data collection will also be expanded.
The two ministries aim to strengthen customs in the fight against financial crime. Plans call for a new center to combat tax and financial crime, where experts from the states, as well as investigators and analysts from federal agencies, will work more closely together.
Image: BMF/Photothek
