Germany Weighs Windfall Tax as Iran War Drives Price Surge (1)

Germany’s Finance Ministry is considering options for a windfall tax on oil companies that would capture a share of profits driven by surging crude prices as the US-led war on Iran roils markets.

Officials under Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, who leads the ministry, are examining an excess-profit levy to fund consumer relief, a government official said on condition of anonymity. One option is to use the proceeds to increase commuter allowances.

Any such tax would be separate from measures being pushed through this week by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government in response to weeks of elevated fuel costs tied ...