In a decision published on 14 December 2023 on Section 4 (4a) of the German Income Tax Act (restriction of deductible interest expense in the case of excess drawings), the Supreme Tax Court decided that the rule whereby Section 4 (4a) Income Tax Act (ITA) is to be applied for each business in isolation – a so-called business-related application - also applies to multi-level partnership structures. As a result, the transfer of a rolled-over profit in accordance with Section 6b ITA (roll-over relief) to another legal entity does not lead to a contribution to the transferring legal entity - (i.e. a contribution which would reduce the level of excess drawings) - due to the fact that no contributable asset was involved.
According to a decision of the Supreme Tax Court, where, within the framework of a multi-level partnership, an upper partnership, which indirectly participated in an asset transferred at book value under Section 6 (5) Sentence 3 Income Tax Act ("ITA"), changes its legal form into a corporation at book value, this will be considered an infringement of the retention period under Section 6 (5) Sentence 6 ITA
