Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alena Schillerová (ANO) said on Czech Television's Sunday Debate program on 27 September 2026 that an increase in some taxes could not be avoided. According to her, this could involve excise duty, the so-called refinery tax, and other measures.[1][2]*
Areas under consideration
Schillerová said she is preparing options for taxing investment apartments and certain addictive and harmful substances.[2][3] As examples, she mentioned kratom, nicotine pouches, and products containing HHC.[2] Regarding investment apartments, she said the ministry is working on a variant that would increase the tax above a certain threshold, corresponding to the amount an owner pays in property tax.[2]
"Above all, it will be the taxes I'm talking about. That means excise duty, we have the refinery tax, we're preparing some others, because we have areas where profits have risen in an unprecedented way," said Schillerová, without specifying the other areas further.[1][2][4]
She described raising value added tax as a "tempting and quick solution," but also said it was problematic. According to her, one percentage point of the basic VAT rate would bring the state 24 billion crowns in revenue.[2] She does not want to return to the so-called super-gross wage, abolished in 2021 under the government of Andrej Babiš, though she does not consider its abolition to have been a mistake.[1][2]
Timeline and savings target
According to the minister, legislation must be prepared so that it takes effect around the middle of 2027.[1] A combination of increased revenues and reduced expenditures could save 20 billion crowns in the budget, or possibly more, with roughly half of that amount coming from higher tax revenues.[1][2] Schillerová said she has a set of measures prepared along with their quantification, and will inform the coalition about the best solutions.[2]
Reaction and conflict with the government's policy statement
Former Minister of Finance Zbyněk Stanjura (ODS) acknowledged in the debate that changing the tax mix is appropriate in the current situation, but said the proposed measures would bring only small amounts into the budget.[2][3] According to the proposal, next year's budget deficit is to amount to 386 billion crowns. "If you need to consolidate 150 billion and you get ten on the revenue side, then you have 140 billion left for cuts," said Stanjura.[2][3]
The policy statement of the government of ANO, SPD, and the Motorists contains a commitment "not to raise any taxes" and instead to properly collect existing taxes and save on its own operations.[1][2]
Related articles: Alena Schillerová
Chronology
- — Finance minister Alena Schillerová said the government will not be able to avoid raising some taxes; taxation of investment apartments and addictive substances is under consideration. Novinky.cz ČTK / České noviny
Sources
- Novinky.cz — 27 September 2026
- ČTK / České noviny — 27 September 2026
- Echo24 — 27 September 2026
- Blesk.cz — 27 September 2026