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Price is important, but by no means everything. Multinational companies must evaluate professional expertise, technology, governance, and transformation capability in a holistic way. This article shows which criteria really matter and what is essential in practice.

The selection of a global service provider is complex and strategically crucial. A properly structured selection process creates transparency, reduces risks and allows well-founded decisions to be made. Find out how you can carry out the market analysis, requests for proposal and evaluation of the bids.

A year after publishing its first circular on e-invoices, the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) has published a second circular to further define the rules on electronic invoicing. The Circular, dated 15 October 2025, updates the Circular of 15 October 2024 and amends the VAT Application Decree (Umsatzsteueranwendungserlass – UStAE). In this article, we explain the main changes and clarifications in the second Federal Ministry of Finance circular on e-invoicing. Businesses should familiarise themselves with the new requirements to check and validate e-invoices in advance to efficiently push forward the digitalisation of their invoicing processes.

Since 2022 the “everlasting deferral” for exits from Germany has also been rescinded and not replaced for changes to residence within Europe. Businesspeople and natural persons with shares in corporations of more than one percent now have to pay exit tax straight away. Distributing this in instalments over seven years is only a little help with liquidity planning be-cause the tax authorities usually require the full amount to be paid up front as security. A Polish court has now referred three questions to the ECJ, which, with regard to the European law concerns, could also be relevant to Germans moving abroad.

In our previous post we examined the success factors for international outsourcing projects. Now we show you which KPIs are crucial for quality, performance and compliance.

On October 15, 2025, the German Federal Government issued the draft for the so-called "Flexible Retirement Act" (“Aktivrentengesetz”). The aim of this law is to provide tax relief for employees who continue to work in jobs subject to social security contributions after reaching the statutory retirement age.

In its judgement on 16 July 2025 (file no. I R 1/23) the Federal Fiscal Court (so-called Bundesfinanzhof – BFH) handed down a decision with practical relevance on the utilisation of losses when a change of control occurs during the year. Particularly important is that a loss carry-back under section 10d of the Income Tax Act (so-called Einkommensteuergesetz - EStG) remains possible if an acquisition that is detrimental under section 8c of the Corporation Tax Act (KStG) has been made. The judgement creates new room to manoeuvre for restructuring and transferring participating interests.

High energy costs are an increasing challenge to many businesses. To mitigate the burden of costs at least partially they can claim tax benefits (tax exemptions, tax relief, etc.) under the German Electricity Tax Act [StromStG] and Energy Tax Act [EnergieStG]. But businesses in difficulty as defined by European state aid law are excluded from this. This also includes some businesses that are actually not in financial straits at all. But a recent court judgement and new practice at the customs authorities means they are now threatened with the loss of these tax benefits.

As of July 1, 2025, the process for determining parental status and the number of children to be considered for the calculation of long-term care insurance contributions has been digital-ized. The German authorities now automatically transmit the relevant data to the contribution-paying entities. Under certain conditions, this procedure also allows for retroactive corrections of long-term care insurance contributions, going back as far as July 1, 2023. What does this mean for you as a company and employer?

Recent legislative changes and upcoming administrative guidance have brought important updates to the (wage) tax treatment of employer-provided benefits, particularly regarding incentives for company cars with alternative engines and reimbursement of electricity costs. In this article, we provide an overview of the current (wage) tax regulations for company cars and outline the differences between lump-sum and itemized reimbursement models for charging electric vehicles. Employers will gain practical insights into how to implement these benefits in a tax-optimised and legally compliant manner.

If the penultimate partner of a limited partnership (KG) leaves the partnership, the partnership assets are transferred to the last partner. As a result of such an "accretion", the question arises as to whether and to what extent the tax losses of the former KG can be used by the last remaining partner. Recently, the Federal Fiscal Court (BFH) (ruling of 19 March 2025, XI R 2/23) had to decide on the use of offsettable losses in accordance with Section 15a EStG and trade losses in accordance with Section 10a GewStG by the remaining limited partner - and ruled in favor of the taxpayer.

The ECJ specifies the 25% threshold to determine the social security law to be applied to cross-border work. Find out more now.

The provisional social insurance contribution assessment limits for 2026 have been announced and will now be proposed to the Bundestag. We summarize what employers need to know now.

In its letter on 8 August 2025, the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) clarified the classification of revenue from online event services in cases where services are combined. The VAT Application Decree (AEAO) has been adapted and expanded accordingly. In addition to this specification, the Federal Ministry of Finance has also dealt with when the scope of this provision is to apply. This letter completely replaces the letter dated 29 April 2024.

For companies and creators: Basics, news, opinions and practical tips – always up to date.

The tax authorities have currently got their sights on influencers – will this be followed by a second wave, with the focus moving from the influencers to the companies they collaborate with? Is your company prepared for this second wave and does your influencer marketing comply with tax and social insurance requirements? It can be expected that sponsoring and incentives will again also be closely examined.