At the beginning of May, it was announced that the tax offices in Clervaux and Wiltz would close by early 2028, with staff and operations moving to a new building in Hosingen. The news sparked significant concern in the affected towns, prompting strong reactions from local politicians who advocated for keeping administrative services in their communities. The public pushback appears to have had an effect, as the Finance Minister Gilles Roth has since confirmed that tax services will remain available in Clervaux and Wiltz.
According to MP Jeff Boonen of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), Finance Minister Gilles Roth had already worked out a solution with the municipal council of Wiltz weeks earlier to maintain the local tax office. Boonen shared the update on social media at the start of the month.
However, not everyone in Wiltz was pleased with how the situation unfolded. Councillor Maurice Muller of the Democratic Party (DP), for example, expressed surprise during the most recent municipal council meeting, stating he was unaware of Roth’s supposed visit and had not seen him at the town hall. He questioned how such a decision was made without broader consultation and argued that if the existing buildings are outdated or non-compliant, then the government should invest jointly with the tax administration to upgrade them instead of planning their closure.
In reality, Roth did not visit Wiltz in person. Instead, the municipal councils of both Wiltz and Clervaux had travelled to the ministry to discuss the issue directly with him. Following these meetings, Roth took a clear stance.
He clarified that the legal framework assigns the Clervaux tax office responsibility for the Clervaux canton, and the Wiltz office for the Wiltz canton, and that this would not change. He explained that the current civil servants in both locations will remain in place, though possibly in different buildings to ensure compliance with accessibility and public service safety standards. According to Roth, these considerations were part of the motivation to review and reorganise the existing arrangements. He added that the government is politically committed to maintaining the tax offices in both cantonal seats, as aligned with the regulatory requirements.
In Wiltz, this news has been welcomed with relief. The current office does not meet the needs of people with limited mobility, meaning the ten civil servants working there will need to relocate. The search for a suitable new location is already underway.
Wiltz mayor Carole Weigel stated that they have visited a site on ‘Am Pëtz’ to assess its potential. The goal is to find centrally located, accessible premises that meet the tax office’s operational needs, she stated. She expressed confidence that even if this particular site proves unsuitable, another viable option will certainly be found, pointing out that the municipality already has several promising alternatives in mind.
One issue at the Am Pëtz site is that the floor structure might not support the weight of the tax office archives. These would likely be relocated to the “Wunne mat der Wooltz” development site at a later stage.
In Clervaux, the search for a new space to replace the current offices in the ‘Bouviershaus’ is also ongoing. While no specific location has been announced, the municipality is considering a possible side benefit: moving the local government administration from the castle to the Bouviershaus.
Clervaux mayor Georges Keipes explained that internal assessments had been conducted to evaluate whether the Bouviershaus could accommodate office spaces. These studies, carried out with input from the National Institute for Architectural Heritage (INPA), suggest the idea is feasible and could represent a step in the right direction, Keipes explained.
For now, the priority remains finding new premises for the tax offices in both towns. Although the final setup, especially in Wiltz, has not yet been determined, one thing is clear: the new administrative site in Hosingen will go ahead as planned. Fortunately for residents of Clervaux, Hosingen is not too far away.
