As a private individual

Pink “Robin Hood” fights against ORF provincial tax

The pink "Robin Hood" Dominik Oberhofer is fighting alone against the state tax.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Tyrol's Neos leader Dominik Oberhofer is taking private action against the ORF state tax due to a lack of sufficient supporters in the state parliament and emphasizes: "I invite all Tyroleans to join in." The pink man sees himself as "a kind of 'Robin Hood' in this matter".

Vienna, Salzburg and Lower Austria abolished it at the beginning of the year, in Upper Austria and Vorarlberg it has not been payable for some time. - We are talking about the state tax, which is collected together with the ORF contribution in Tyrol, Carinthia, Burgenland and Styria. The "Tiroler Krone" recently reported on the issue in detail. According to constitutional lawyer Peter Bußjäger, the provincial levy represents "unequal treatment", as it is not collected everywhere and is levied at different rates where it is collected.

As a private individual, I am submitting an individual complaint and invite all Tyroleans to join in. I am a kind of "Robin Hood" in this matter.

Dominik Oberhofer

Abolition has not yet been possible
In Tyrol it is 3.10 euros per month. The money is intended for cultural and art projects. "So far, around 13 million euros have been collected annually through the state tax in Tyrol", calculated Tyrol's Neos leader and member of parliament Dominik Oberhofer on Wednesday, "only ten of this goes to culture, the remaining three go to social affairs, but nobody knows exactly what really happens with it."

The Pinken has been annoyed by the state tax for years. "It was not possible to abolish it in parliament, as only the FPÖ voted with us. An urgent motion was also rejected. I was particularly surprised that Liste Fritz was not on our side," Oberhofer fires back at his opposition colleague Markus Sint.

The pink "Robin Hood" Dominik Oberhofer fights alone against the state tax.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Individual complaint planned as a private individual
The pink man also criticizes the fact that "all companies and hotels now also have to pay the state tax through the household tax. Depending on how many customers they have, they have to pay up to 301 euros per month". In Styria, the Neos, together with the FPÖ and the Greens, have already tabled a one-third motion to review the tax law for unconstitutionality. They believe they have a good chance of success.

In Tyrol, Oberhofer is going it alone due to a lack of supporters: "As a private individual, I am submitting an individual complaint and inviting all Tyroleans to join in. I'm a kind of 'Robin Hood' in this matter."