The Berlin-Brandenburg Tax Court decided that the relevant double tax agreement with the US requires US withholding tax on dividends to be credited against German trade tax even though the Trade Tax Act does not contain any provisions equivalent to the tax credit rules for corporation tax. It is interesting to note that the Hesse Tax Court had already decided likewise in a decision from February 2021.
The Supreme Tax Court decided that the portfolio dividends received by the controlled company within a tax group from domestic and foreign corporations via an investment fund are subject to trade tax in full. A deduction of foreign withholding taxes in accordance with Section 34c (2) of the German Income Tax Act is not possible when determining the trade income tax basis of the tax consolidation group (Organschaft).
The Supreme Tax Court decided that the “switch-over" provision in the respective tax treaties with Russia and Romania, which changes the exemption method to the credit method, was to be applied by observing the activity requirements set in Section 8 (1) of the German Foreign Tax Act.
In a most recent circular the Federal Ministry of Finance commented on the method of the foreign corporation tax credit under the formerly applicable German imputation system. The focus of the circular are two judgments of the European Court of Justice as regards the calculation and verification of the creditable corporation tax underlying a dividend from another EU country.
When determining the amount of foreign withholding tax credit against German income or corporation tax, expenses for future earnings are not to be included in the calculation, which - in the case of dispute before the Supreme Tax Court- improved the plaintiffs tax credit potential. This decision of the Supreme Tax Court contrasts with the view held by the tax authorities.
Part of the fee payable by the foreign client which is initially retained in anticipation of a potential foreign withholding tax liability of the German self-employed contractor is not immediately subject to income tax in the hands of the latter. According to a ruling of the Supreme Tax Court, the fee withheld is only subject to German income tax if the foreign customer settles the foreign (withholding)tax liability incurred on the total amount of the agreed fees.
The Regional Tax Court of Hesse held that withholding tax levied in Canada on dividends distributed by a Canadian corporation to a German corporation should be credited against German trade tax. The tax authorities have in the meantime launched an appeal against this judgment and the case is now pending before the Supreme Tax Court for final clarification.
The regional tax court of Rhineland-Palatinate had to decide whether, in the case of a right to choose between two methods of reducing foreign withholding tax, the taxpayer must ensure that foreign taxes are credited in as small an amount as possible. The regional tax court is of the opinion that it is at the discretion of the taxpayer if and how to use the option to which he is entitled and that this does not have an adverse impact on the general possibility of a foreign tax credit against his German income tax liability.
The Supreme Tax Court has followed an ECJ judgment in basing the maximum foreign tax credit on the total German tax payable on the foreign income as calculated under the assumption that personal allowances and reliefs are first set against the domestic income. The court also held the “per country” limitation to be in accordance with community law.
The finance ministry has decreed that all assessments in which the foreign tax credit is less than that actually borne are to be issued provisionally pending a change in the law to reflect personal allowances in the calculation. Taxpayers may apply for a stay of execution on any amount at issue.
The ECJ has held that freedoms of establishment and of capital movement preclude national legislation relieving foreign tax by credit as opposed to the exemption of domestic source income where the actual corporation tax paid by domestic companies is generally less than the nominal rate. It has also accepted the freedom of capital movement as relevant, unless the national legislation was aimed at controlling interests.
The Supreme Tax Court has held that credit for foreign gift tax is limited to the amount paid in the year of each gift. Lost credit in a prior year cannot be recovered against the higher tax now payable by reason of a higher progressive rate.
The Supreme Tax Court has filed a preliminary question with the ECJ on the calculation of the German income tax attributable to foreign source income as the maximum amount of the foreign tax credit.
