In a recent decision, the Supreme Tax Court held that, in the absence of an explicitly prescribed filing deadline, the general statute of limitations comes into play when requesting a withholding tax refund. The implementation of this provision does not constitute a violation of the free movement of capital.
In a most recent decision on the procedural approach to obtain a WHT exemption, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has reaffirmed that procedural aspects and formalities can amount to disguised restrictions, and that the practical realization of fundamental freedoms must be ensured. This requires considering not only the relevant provisions of tax law but also any procedural requirements and formalities that may hinder the application of tax benefits or relief.
The subject-to-tax provision of the Parent-Subsidiary Directive, whereby distributed dividends are exempt from withholding tax, requires that the dividends are taxed in the hands of the parent company. In practice, this necessitates actual payment of the tax.
