Tax & Legal

Following recent consultations at EU level, new ETACA pilot procedures (European Trust and Cooperation Approach) are now expected to begin in April 2026, the Federal Central Tax Office announced. Companies interested in participating can therefore register until the end of March 2026.

As a result of a decision published by the Supreme Tax Court in April 2025, the Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) has commented on the distinction between the remuneration of a service on the one hand and economic activity on the other in case of deficit-ridden institutions.

The amendment to the double tax treaty between Germany and the Netherlands has been in force since 1 January 2026. Cross-border commuters can now work from home for up to 34 days per year without suffering changes with respect to their personal income tax status. For many employees and employers, this means more transparency, less bureaucracy, and additional planning security in their everyday cross-border working lives.

On January 14, 2026, the Federal Cabinet approved the draft of a Ninth Act Amending The Tax Consultancy Act and Other Tax Regulations. Among the various proposed amendment, the draft contains the following amendments with regard to supplementary real estate transfer tax provisions.

In two judgments published in April 2025, the Supreme Tax Court decided that a corporation in which there is an atypical silent partnership can be a subsidiary within a corporation tax group. With its rulings, the court deviated from an earlier opinion of the tax authorities. The Federal Ministry of Finance has now commented on the consequences of the two judgments.

In a most current circular, the Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) revised its position on the application of the OECD Model Tax Convention when interpreting double taxation agreements (DTAs). This was prompted by the publication of a decision of the Supreme Tax Court of 5 December 2023.

In the course of the Tax Amendment Act 2025 a reduction of VAT for restaurant and catering services, with the exception of the sale of beverages, to seven per cent was introduced from 1 January 2026 (Section 12 (2) No. 15 of the Value Added Tax Act). The Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) has recently issued a brief decree as to specific aspects of the new rule.

North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is taking another decisive step in the fight against tax evasion. The State Office for Combating Financial Crime has acquired a terabyte of data relating to customers in offshore tax havens. The impact on taxpayers could be tremendous.

Following an earlier decision of the Supreme Tax Court from 2024 on the VAT treatment of the administration (management) of fiduciary foundations, the Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) has commented on the matter and amended Section 1.1 of the VAT Application Ordinance accordingly.

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.

In a most recent circular, the Federal Ministry of Finance (MoF) has commented on the input VAT deduction from services obtained by an entrepreneur prior to the switch from the standard taxation to taxation under the small business regime in Section 19 of the German Value Added Tax Act.

The Federal Government has presented a draft of the 2025 Tax Amendment Act.

On 10 September 2025, the Federal Cabinet approved a draft bill to promote private investment and the financial centre (Location Promotion Bill). The draft law aims to provide a stronger impetus for private investment. To this end, the framework conditions for private investment should improve, particularly with regard to infrastructure, renewable energies and venture capital. Companies in the financial market sector will be relieved of unnecessary bureaucracy with the elimination of unnecessary auditing, reporting and disclosure requirements.

With its €500 billion investment package for infrastructure and climate neutrality, the German government has launched an unprecedented investment offensive—for extensive investments in the modernization and future viability of Germany.

In April 2024, the tax authorities commented on the VAT implications of online event services. This administrative circular has now been revoked and replaced by a revised circular issued most recently by the Ministry of Finance (MoF). The VAT Act Application Ordinance was adjusted accordingly.

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 published a draft bill for a third law amending the Energy Tax Act and the Electricity Tax Act.

According to a press release issued today the Cabinet has decided to extend the retention period for accounting documents at banks, insurance companies and securities institutions to ten years. The amendment to the law aims to combat tax evasion and strengthen effective tax enforcement. This will enable large-scale tax evasion cases, such as those involving cum/cum and cum/ex transactions, to be vigorously prosecuted.

On 10 July 2025 the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) published a new draft bill to transpose the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) into German law. The previous federal government had already presented a draft bill to implement the CSRD. However, the legislative process was never completed. The CSRD aims to ensure that certain companies report on the social and environmental impacts and risks of their business activities. The aim of the draft bill is to implement the directive with as little bureaucracy as possible.

The investigations regarding cum-ex and cum-cum transactions are continuing with a focus to uncover the intricate structures and recovering tax losses. Progress is being made but there are also several challenges, particularly regarding the statute of limitations and the elimination of evidence. In response to a question from the party Die Linke, the German government has commented on the current state of affairs.