Tax & Legal

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.

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.

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 Supreme Tax Court has held that a treaty provision calling for double tax relief for aircrew by foreign tax credit as opposed to the exemption method for other professions does not offend against the equal rights provision of the constitution.

The Supreme Tax Court has held that the hedge costs on a foreign currency loan are to be deducted from the interest received in calculating the net foreign income as the basis for the foreign tax credit available.

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.

If it has been revealed during an external tax audit that a large portion of dividend payments from shares were part of so-called short sales and thus the withholding of capital gains tax appears doubtful (here: as being in connection with cum-ex trading), the tax office is entitled to revoke the tax credit granted earlier and reclaim the tax refund from the taxpayer. This was decided by the Tax Court of Hesse following a complaint regarding the suspension of payment.

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.

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.

An ECJ advocate general has suggested that a tax treaty can justify a hindrance on the free movement of capital from granting a tax credit privilege to recipients of a dividend from a third country but not to those with dividends from a member state.

Prepared by Flavia Barone and Fabrizio Tenuta

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.

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 ECJ has held that the notional tax on foreign source income should not be reduced by a portion reflecting domestic allowances and reliefs.

An ECJ advocate general has suggested the court recognise a restriction on the free movement of capital from the differing treatment of the corporation tax underlying domestic and foreign dividends, but hold it to be justified in the interests of maintaining the internationally agreed balance of taxing rights.

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.

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.

In a decision published on 26 November 2021, the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht,) declared as inadmissible a referral by the Supreme Tax Court (Bundesfinanzhof) regarding Section 3 of the Solidarity Surcharge Act 1995 as amended on October 15, 2002 (SSA, 1995).

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.