The case before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) concerned an annulment application in respect of a decision by the European Commission that certain parts of the UK’s controlled foreign company (CFC) regime constituted state aid. The case was an appeal against the General Court’s earlier decision to uphold the Commission’s state aid determination.
In a recent judgment the General Court of the EU dismissed the applications of two joint cases seeking annulment of the European Commission’s State aid decision on the UK Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) rules in force until 31 December 2018.
On 17 March 2021, the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) published a decree on the application of Section 8 (2) of the Foreign Tax Act (AStG) which stipulates the “motive test” taxpayers have to meet to escape controlled foreign company (CFC) taxation.
Following a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) earlier this year, the Supreme Tax Court held in its decision of 31 October 2019 that the incorporation into the tax base of controlled company income from invested capital from an intermediary company domiciled in Switzerland in the financial year 2006 may restrict the free movement of capital, but it is justified through compelling reasons of public interest and does not therefore contravene EU law.
In a most recent decision, the European Court of Justice held that that Belgium acted in breach of its obligations under the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) laying down rules against tax avoidance practices that directly affect the functioning of the internal market by failing to adopt the laws, regulations, and administrative provisions necessary to comply with Article 8 (7) of that directive.
On Monday, 10 July 2023, the Federal Ministry of Finance sent the draft bill for the implementation of the Directive to ensure a global minimum level of taxation for multinational enterprise groups and large domestic groups in the Union (so-called Minimum Taxation Directive Implementation Act – “Implementation Bill”) to the associations with the request for comment by 21 July 2023.
On August 6, 2025, the Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) sent the draft bill for a law to adjust the Minimum Tax Act (“MTA”) and implement further measures (“MTAA – Draft”) to the associations for comment by August 11, 2025. The draft bill includes measures for the implementation of the OECD Administrative Guidance on Article 9.1 of the Global Anti-Base Erosion Model Rules from January 2025 as well as “accompanying measures" that are intended to contribute to the simplification of international tax law ("decluttering") outside the scope of the MTA.
The Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) has sent the draft of a revised version of the attribution taxation for foreign family foundations pursuant to Section 15 of the Foreign Tax Act to certain associations. They as well as interested professionals are given the opportunity to comment until 15 January 2026.
On 24 June 2026, the European Commission published two packages aimed at simplifying various corporate tax directives. The first package, a so-called “Tax Omnibus Package” proposes changes to the Parent-Subsidiary Directive, the Interest and Royalties Directive, and the Merger and Dispute Resolution Directives. The second package is intended to serve as a “DAC Recast,” under which certain thresholds for reporting obligations will be modified or abolished, corporate groups subject to Pillar 2 will generally be exempted from DAC6, and other amending directives related to DAC (the Mutual Assistance Directive) will be adapted or consolidated. The packages are designed to modernise the EU's direct tax framework, make it more efficient and better adapt it to the current economic environment, whi ...
On Wednesday, 16 August 2023, the Federal Cabinet adopted the government's draft bill on the implementation of Council Directive (EU) 2022/2523 to ensure minimum global taxation with other accompanying measures. The draft was officially published on 17 August 2023
The change in the method for avoiding double taxation of certain foreign profits (the „switch-over“ from exemption to the tax credit method) stated in Section 20 (2) of the Foreign Tax Act requires that the German taxpayer controls the foreign company that generates the profits. This most recent decision of the Supreme Tax Court is contrary to the opinion of the German Ministry of Finance in a circular from 2014.
On 24 March 2021, a government draft bill aiming to implement the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) passed the cabinet (in the following referred to as “Draft”) after lengthy political efforts.
On 10 June 2021, the Bundestag approved the "Act to avert tax avoidance and unfair tax competition and to amend other laws". In doing so, the Bundestag followed the recommendation of the Finance Committee.
Two decisions of the Baden-Württemberg Tax Court have been published in connection with the attribution of foreign passive income for trade tax purposes. In these decisions the Court also raises doubts as to whether the add-back of this type of foreign income is compatible with EU law.
In a decision published today the Third Chamber of the First Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court (“FCC”) overturned various tax court decisions concerning the obligation to use the special electronic tax advisor mailbox (known as “beSt”).
The Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) has provided the Finance Committee of the Bundestag several formulation aids for its ongoing consultations on the Finance Bill 2022.
The Council and Parliament reached a provisional agreement on stricter EU anti money laundering rules. The new rules will harmonize the existing framework and close possible loopholes used by criminals to launder illicit proceeds or finance terrorist activities through the financial system.
