Tax information exchange agreements

The finance ministry has issued a decree on the procedures to be followed by tax offices requesting information from other countries under a tax information exchange agreement.

Model treaty on information exchange

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the USA have prepared a model bilateral treaty for the mutual exchange of information on bank accounts held by residents of the other country. Compliance with the treaty would absolve financial institutions from their own specific US reporting requirements under FATCA.

European Council resolves automatic information exchange

The European Council has adopted amendments to the Savings Tax Directive for the automatic exchange of information between member states from January 1, 2017.

Automatic information exchange with Spain on pensions

The two finance ministries have agreed on an automatic exchange of information on pensions paid to residents of their country under deduction of a withholding tax.

OECD publishes new standard on automatic information exchang ...

The OECD has published a new standard on the automatic exchange of information between tax authorities. This is complemented by a model competent authority agreement drafted as a bilateral treaty between two states.

European Council agrees on automatic information exchange on ...

Rules on tax evaders coming forward to be tightened

The finance ministry has drafted legislation to tighten and streamline the rules under which tax evaders who come forward can avoid prosecution.

Annual Tax Bill 2013

The cabinet resolved an annual tax bill 2013 on May 23, 2012 with many editorial and similar changes of formality. Mostly, the changes are necessary to update the references to the latest EU provisions and to reflect recently decided ECJ and Supreme Tax Court cases. Changes of substance are:

Tax & Legal News – Issue 6, October 2015

In this issue: Official Pronouncements, Supreme Tax Court Cases, From Europe and From PwC.

Tax & Legal News – Issue 7, December 2015

In this issue: Official Pronouncements, Supreme Tax Court Cases, From Europe and From PwC

Tax transparency with Liechtenstein

The EU and Liechtenstein have signed a tax transparency agreement for the automatic exchange of information between the authorities of Liechtenstein and the EU member states on the bank accounts held locally for residents of the other state.

Tax & Legal News – Issue 2, March 2014

In this issue: PwC Reports, Official Pronouncments, Supreme Tax Court Cases, From Europe and From PwC.

Court of Auditors can insist on auditing a nation’s VAT syst ...

The ECJ has outlawed a German refusal to cooperate with the European Court of Auditors by claiming that their audit would have had no valid basis in law.

Tax & Legal News – Issue 3, May 2014

In this issue: Official Pronouncments, Supreme Tax Court Cases, From Europe and From PwC.

EU Council: Anguilla, Dominica and Seychelles removed from t ...

In conclusions approved on 5 October 2021, the Council decided to remove Anguilla, Dominica and Seychelles from the EU list of non-cooperative countries and territories for tax purposes. All three had previously been placed on the “black list” because they did not meet the EU’s tax transparency criteria of being ranked as at least ‘largely compliant’ by the OECD Global Forum regarding the exchange of information on request.

Conditions tightened for tax evader immunity

The "Black Money Act" requiring rueful tax evaders to come forward at an earlier stage with a full admission of their misdeeds is now in force.

Tax & Legal News – Issue 4, October 2013

In this issue: PwC Reports, Official Pronouncments, Supreme Tax Court Cases, From Europe and From PwC.

Tax & Legal News - Issue 3, November 2012

In this issue: PwC Reports, Official Pronouncments, Supreme Tax Court Cases, From Europe and From PwC

Germany must assist in an EU VAT systems audit?

An ECJ advocate general has suggested the court condemn Germany for refusing assistance to the EU Court of Auditors in its attempt to conduct a field review of cooperation with other member states on VAT matters.

New decree by Federal Ministry of Finance extends motive tes ...

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.