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Tax compliance is more than just a legal obligation – it protects a company and its management from unexpected risks and fines, or even reputational damage. Innovative tools and queries as part of a thoroughly designed TCF can help companies stay on the safe side in the future. In many situations, risks such as bogus self-employment and incentives can be quickly and accurately identified using innovative tools and queries and directly allocated to risk categories to minimize – if not fully mitigate, negative outcomes.

Exit taxation, often also called exit tax (Wegzugsbesteuerung or Wegzugsteuer), is a central topic in German tax law and is becoming increasingly important in the context of international mobility.

After a tense election, the new coalition seems to be certain – the next German government will probably be formed by the CDU/CSU and the SPD. But what does this mean in terms of tax for family businesses, family offices and (Ultra)-High-net-worth individuals? Based on the parties’ manifestos, we’ve analysed what tax changes private clients can expect in the new legislative period and why it’s crucial to consider business and wealth succession now.

Operators of digital platforms must submit their report of traders on their platform to the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) by 31 January 2025. Find out what you need to do in this article.

The new U.S. President, Donald Trump, has already started implementing key campaign promises in the early weeks of his second term. This includes a shift away from the tax policies of his predecessor. In this article, we explore what this change in tax policy means for globally operating companies, particularly regarding the implementation of the global minimum tax.

Gains on disposal when selling an interest in a partnership are not usually subject to trade tax. According to the Federal Fiscal Court judgment of 21/11/2024 (file ref. IV R 26/22), this principle does not apply in certain circumstances, however, resulting in the gains on disposal being subject to trade tax. In these cases, the trade tax is not charged to the seller but to the partnership. This can result in undesirable burdens on partners who are not involved in the sale.

Operators of digital platforms must submit their report of traders on their platform to the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) by 31 January 2025. Find out what you need to do in this article.

The tax group for income tax purposes is an essential tool for tax planning. It allows companies to offset profits against losses within a group of companies and thereby make use of tax advantages. The new BMF Circular on the Reorganisation Tax Act of 2 January 2025 brings numerous changes and amendments. They particularly concern changes in the law and current Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof) case law. This Circular replaces the 2011 version and provides more legal certainty in many cases – but not in every area. The new rules on the contribution solution, retrospective financial integration and allocation of tax group income and profits from transfers are particularly relevant to practice.

Learn about the Federal Fiscal Court's landmark decision on third-party payments in insolvency proceedings, focusing on VAT debts under the German Insolvency Code. Key insights for businesses navigating insolvency challenges.

Spain is stepping up its efforts to digitise business transactions by implementing mandatory e-invoicing for companies and professionals. As part of our ongoing series “E-invoicing in the EU”, in this article we focus on the latest developments in Spain, highlighting the key aspects of Spain’s e-invoicing system, its scope and practical insights from Grant Thornton Spain.

In a recently published judgment, the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof) gave its opinion on the tax exemption of medical treatments like hair transplants. These kinds of treatments may be tax-exempt, but it depends on whether they can be assessed as a medical condition. The judgment raises questions concerning where to draw the line and in which cases the principles of the judgment may apply beyond the case.

The break-up of the “traffic light” coalition and the Bundestag elections that were brought forward to 23 February 2025 are having a considerable impact on tax reforms and plans for legislation. The lack of a majority makes concluding key legislative plans more difficult.

With the start of 2025, significant changes to the law governing payroll tax and social insurance came into force. From the abolition of the “one fifth rule” for payroll deductions to new long-term care insurance contributions to changes to deadlines for applying for allowances – many rules have a direct influence on everyday accounting. Current case law and tax authority guidelines also offer options for structuring. This article gives you a compact overview of the most important points.

After a wait of over a year, on 5 December 2024 the German Federal Ministry of Finance published its final guidance on application of the ban on deduction of operational expenses under Section 4k of the German Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz – EStG) for hybrid mismatches. It includes crucial statements on applying Section 4k, which are of particular practical importance to US inbound structures. Here we’ve summarised the most crucial effects for companies concerned.

Stricter requirements for the recognition of expenses from cross-border financing relationships: The Annual Tax Act 2024 disappoints hopes for a true grandfathering protection for existing loans. This article explains what companies now need to bear in mind.

From the start of 2025 new thresholds apply to social insurance. The thresholds have been adjusted to match the trend in income.