Reich Flight Tax

The Reich Flight Tax (German: Reichsfluchtsteuer) was a capital control law implemented in order to stem capital flight from the Weimar Republic. The law was created through decree on 8 December 1931 by Reich President Paul von Hindenburg. The Reich Flight Tax was assessed upon departure from the individual's German domicile, provided that the individual had assets exceeding 200,000 RM or had a yearly income over 20,000 RM. The tax rate was set at 25 percent. In 1931, the Reichsmark was fixed at an exchange rate of 4.2 RM per USD; 200,000 RM was equivalent to $47,600 USD (equivalent to $750,000 in 2016).

During the Third Reich, the use of the Reich Flight Tax shifted away from dissuading wealthy citizens from moving overseas. Rather, the departure of Jewish citizens was desired and permitted by the Nazi government — even after the Invasion of Poland — until a decree from Heinrich Himmler forbade Jewish emigration on 23 October 1941. The tax was used as a "partial expropriation" of the assets of Jewish refugees who were persecuted and driven to flee their homeland.

The Great Depression of 1929 led to massive loan cancellations from the international banking system; this particularly affected Germany, which had an estimated foreign debt of 24 billion RM in 1931, of which 5.25 billion RM alone had to be repaid in the first half of the year. The German government limited free capital flows and controlled the exchange of foreign currency, while also implementing austerity measures and raising the income tax. These measures precipitated a wave of capital flight, and the Reich Flight Tax was intended to dissuade wealthy would-be emigrants from leaving the country.

...
Wikipedia