Bund der Steuerzahler reports widespread tax waste in 2026 Schwarzbuch

The Bund der Steuerzahler (Taxpayers Association) has released its 2026/27 “Schwarzbuch,” documenting 100 instances of alleged public fund mismanagement across Germany. The report highlights significant cost escalations in major infrastructure and prestige projects.

A primary focus is the planned government terminal at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), where costs are projected to rise from an initial 344 million euros to as much as 2.5 billion euros. The association criticizes the expansion of the site from 30 to 60 hectares, noting that the current terminal is already functional.

Other highlighted cases include: • High-cost construction and renovation projects, such as the Munich S-Bahn trunk line and the Mainfranken Theater. • Mismanaged local projects, including an underutilized parking garage in Lübeck-Travemünde and expensive industrial hall acquisitions in Attendorn. • Questionable spending on cultural installations, such as a 2.3 million euro art piece in Frankfurt and the German Wallpaper Museum in Kassel. • Inefficient resource allocation, including unused teacher laptops in Schleswig-Holstein and expensive municipal trees.

The association also criticizes the current system of government subsidies and special funds, describing them as “poisoned gifts” that encourage municipalities to pursue projects they otherwise could not afford. Political figures, including Alice Weidel of the AfD, have used the report to criticize the government's ideological spending and debt management.