Germany edition

Tax

The following articles have been tagged with "Tax":

Daimler books record €6-billion profit

Business & Money: 9 Feb 12
German auto giant Daimler, which own Mercedes-Benz, said on Thursday they achieved record sales and profits in 2011, but warned that earnings may be flat this year. READ »

Former spy boss moves to Deutsche Bank

Business & Money: 6 Feb 12
Ernst Uhrlau, former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency the BND, has been on the payroll of Germany’s biggest bank since the start of February, just two months after his retirement. READ »

Sarkozy looks to Merkel for re-election help

Politics: 6 Feb 12
Increasingly citing Germany as a model for France, President Nicolas Sarkozy will look to give his re-election hopes a boost Monday in a joint TV interview with Chancellor Angela Merkel. READ »

Deutsche Bank profits fall as debt crisis bites

Business & Money: 2 Feb 12
Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest bank reported Thursday a bigger-than-expected drop in earnings at the end of last year as the eurozone sovereign debt crisis hurt business. READ »

Euro crisis, earthquakes slam Munich Re profits

Business & Money: 2 Feb 12
Munich Re, the world's biggest reinsurer, said Thursday that profits plummeted last year due to heavy losses from both the eurozone debt crisis and a string of natural catastrophes. READ »

Merkel pushes through EU fiscal pact

Politics: 31 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders attempted to solve Europe’s debt crisis on Monday evening with a German-driven treaty meant to end deficits. But a suggestion to police the Greek budget raised hackles. READ »

Germany rakes in record tax income

Business & Money: 27 Jan 12
December saw the biggest tax haul in German history, it was reported Friday – but the recent revenue boom is slowing down. READ »

'Muslim taxi' offers gender-segregated rides

Society: 27 Jan 12
A German man has created a new website to arrange shared car trips with a twist – it’s targeted toward Muslims, and drivers can only offer transport to members of the same sex. READ »

Schäuble slams Cameron for blocking EU deal

Politics: 27 Jan 12
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble took a jab at Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday, blaming him for Europe's failure to agree a common debt-reduction treaty. READ »

Germans confront latent anti-Semitism

National: 27 Jan 12
As Germany commemorates the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz on Friday, Miriam Widman explores just how widespread anti-Semitism continues to be nearly 70 years after the Holocaust. READ »

Bonn calls prostitute 'sex meter' a success

Society: 24 Jan 12
The German city of Bonn is calling its policy of levying a surcharge on streetwalking prostitutes via kerb-side meters a success that would continue. READ »

VW eyes 2012 merger with Porsche

Business & Money: 22 Jan 12
Europe's biggest automaker Volkswagen will probably complete its takeover of luxury car group Porsche this year after clearing key hurdles, according to a German media report on Sunday. READ »

Berlin urges swift action on EU transaction tax

Business & Money: 20 Jan 12
Germany pushed for quick decisions to be made on a mooted tax on financial transactions on Friday, amid British fears that such a levy could drive away business from Europe. READ »

Man can keep €84,600 after tax office error

Society: 19 Jan 12
A man who kept quiet for eight years about a €84,600 overpayment from the German tax office has been told by a court he can keep the money. READ »

Cost of nuke phase-out 'could near €2 trillion'

Business & Money: 18 Jan 12
Tech giant Siemens has warned that Germany’s nuclear phase-out could cost the country nearly €2 trillion by 2030, much higher than previously estimated. READ »

Chinese poised to take German tourism crown

Society: 18 Jan 12
Germans are world champions of travel, spending more than €60 billion on trips abroad last year - but the Chinese could soon overtake them, according to Commerzbank statistics released Tuesday. READ »

Tighter 'Made in Germany' rules criticised

Business & Money: 16 Jan 12
New rules being planned by the European Union which would limit the use of the label “Made in Germany” could cause “immense damage”, Germany’s industry lobby group warned on Monday. READ »

Sarkozy wants France to be more like Germany

National: 15 Jan 12
As the German economy shines, next door France plunges into recession, shedding jobs and losing its top credit rating. But President Nicolas Sarkozy has a plan to save the country, by making it more like Germany. READ »

Rays of light as Merkel seeks eurozone fixes

Business & Money: 11 Jan 12
Ratings agency Fitch offered a ray of light for the eurozone Tuesday as German Chancellor Angela Merkel met IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Greece's struggle to cut its debt, amid tentative signs of progress. READ »

Coalition at risk over financial transaction tax

Politics: 10 Jan 12
Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing a crisis in her governing coalition after agreeing with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to push for a financial transaction tax, even if Britain opts out. READ »

Merkel, Sarkozy vow to solve eurozone crisis

Business & Money: 9 Jan 12
The leaders of Germany and France put aside their differences on a controversial tax of financial market transactions and promised to speed up various measures to ease the eurozone crisis, as the euro flirted with new market lows Monday. READ »

France heads for Tobin tax without Germany

Business & Money: 6 Jan 12
France will decide on a financial transaction tax by the end of the month to set an example for Europe, even if Germany does not follow suit, an aide to President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday. READ »

Tax shake-up means up to €160 more in 2012

Business & Money: 2 Jan 12
The New Year has started prosperously for German workers, who will see their annual income increase by up to €160 thanks to tweaks made to the tax system. READ »

Pack of cigarettes to cost more than €5

Business & Money: 30 Dec 11
Smokers will not only pay for their habit with their health in 2012 – prices are increasing too, with a pack of 19 cigarettes topping €5 for the first time. READ »

Half a million kilometres of traffic jams this year

National: 29 Dec 11
Far from effortlessly zooming down Autobahns at limitless speeds, German drivers are increasingly sitting in traffic– with nearly half a million kilometres of jams recorded this year. READ »

Floridians want more naked Germans to visit

Society: 28 Dec 11
Pandabare, a nudist community in western Florida, United States, has won an advertising grant to tempt German nudists to try stripping off stateside. READ »

Six jailed in €300 million tax evasion scheme

Business & Money: 22 Dec 11
A German court jailed six men on Wednesday for tax evasion in the trading of carbon emission permits through the country's biggest bank, Deutsche Bank. READ »

AT&T drops blocked bid for T-Mobile in US

Business & Money: 20 Dec 11
AT&T has abandoned its $39-billion deal to buy Deutsche Telekom's US wireless unit T-Mobile after running into stiff opposition from American regulators. READ »

German banks abandon US customers

Business & Money: 15 Dec 11
German banks are closing US customers’ investment accounts because they say financial reporting requirements from American authorities are just too onerous. READ »

Struggling pensioners forced back to work

Society: 15 Dec 11
Germany, as Europe's top economy, may be currently seen as the land of plenty but its senior citizens are increasingly being forced to take a part-time job in their twilight years just to make ends meet. READ »

Supermodel Auermann fined for tax evasion

Society: 13 Dec 11
A court fined German former supermodel Nadja Auermann €90,000 ($118,600) for tax evasion Tuesday over a villa she owned in Berlin. READ »

EON takes €3-billion charge as prospects dim

Business & Money: 13 Dec 11
EON, Germany's biggest power supplier, has taken a charge of some €3 billion ($4 billion) due to the diminished value of its assets because of the dim economic outlook in southern Europe. READ »

Deutsche Bahn set to rake in record profits

Business & Money: 9 Dec 11
Germany's rail operator Deutsche Bahn is expecting to record its biggest-ever profits in the coming year, despite the threat of an economic downturn hanging over the country, a leaked report shows. READ »

Princely petrol pump prices miff motorists

Business & Money: 7 Dec 11
Motorists in Germany have never shelled out so much to fill up their cars, as fuel costs reached an all-time high in 2011, according to drivers' association ADAC. READ »

Merkel and Sarkozy call for new euro pact

Politics: 5 Dec 11
France and Germany want a new EU treaty by March with tougher budgetary rules to deal with the eurozone debt crisis, President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel said after crisis talks Monday. READ »

Increasing income gap 'due to poor education'

Business & Money: 5 Dec 11
The gap between rich and poor in Germany is widening dramatically, a new OECD report says, warning that investment in education and training were key to fighting inequality. READ »

German football seeks new president

Sport: 5 Dec 11
German football has launched a bad-tempered search for a new boss after the shock resignation of the DFB football association president with a meeting to discuss the options set for this week. READ »

Steinbrück rules out new grand coalition

Politics: 4 Dec 11
Former Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück, a leading member of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), has categorically ruled out entering a new grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel. READ »

Discovering Munich’s past in a mediaeval loo

Lifestyle: 1 Dec 11
Construction on an underground train line in the centre of Munich has uncovered mediaeval latrines full of artefacts offering insights into the Bavarian capital’s past. Christine Madden reports. READ »

Germany's leadership to euroblivion

Analysis & Opinion: 30 Nov 11
With Europe's sovereign debt crisis now threatening the survival of the euro, Germany will need to do more than simply force austerity on its neighbours, writes The Local's Marc Young. READ »

Greens weigh support for NPD ban

Politics: 27 Nov 11
The Greens will only support a new attempt at banning the neo-Nazi NPD political party if there is a good chance the effort will succeed, members said Sunday at their party conference in Kiel. READ »

The ins and outs of pensions

Lifestyle: 25 Nov 11
Plan on growing old and grey in Germany? Joe Morgan explains why you shouldn’t rely solely on a state pension for your golden years. READ »

Air Berlin seeks Chinese and Mideast cash

Business & Money: 25 Nov 11
Struggling airline Air Berlin, Germany's second-biggest carrier, is on the hunt for investors and has already begun talks with potential partners from China or the Gulf, a German daily reported Friday. READ »

Telekom braces for AT&T deal collapse

Business & Money: 24 Nov 11
US and German telecommunications giants AT&T and Deutsche Telekom said on Thursday they are preparing for the potential collapse of their $39-billion (€29-billion) deal for T-Mobile USA. READ »

Baton-swinging cops in anti-nuke showdown

National: 23 Nov 11
Baton-wielding French police battled anti-nuclear protesters Wednesday as the last convoy of German nuclear waste to be treated in France was prepared for its journey home. READ »

Germany says eurobonds no 'cure' for debt crisis

Business & Money: 21 Nov 11
The idea of introducing so-called "eurobonds" across the 17-nation eurozone should not be considered a miracle remedy for its debt crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said on Monday. READ »

Berlin won't collect tax from WWII victims

National: 21 Nov 11
Germany moved Monday to reassure Belgium that people who suffered forced labour at the hands of the Nazis would not have to pay tax on their compensation, after a row between Berlin and Brussels. READ »

Merkel and Cameron struggle to show unity

Politics: 18 Nov 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron were at pains on Friday to stress unity on tackling the debt crisis but differed sharply on strategic points. READ »

The ins and outs of buying property

Lifestyle: 18 Nov 11
Germany might have avoided the recent global real estate bubble, but buying a flat can still be a confusing and expensive endeavour. Joe Morgan looks into mortgages and other property pitfalls. READ »

Irish irate as Bundestag sees budget first

Politics: 18 Nov 11
The Irish and German governments became entangled in a spat on Thursday after details of the Irish budget were given to the German Bundestag, before being presented to the Irish parliament, the Dáil. READ »

Merkel admits eurozone still searching for debt crisis solution

Business & Money: 16 Nov 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted Wednesday that the eurozone had still not identified the road to recovery from its crippling debt crisis, after talks with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. READ »

City of Berlin gets 'grand coalition' government

Politics: 16 Nov 11
A left-right coalition is taking shape in the city state of Berlin, after the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats agreed to form a government in Germany's capital on Wednesday. READ »

Protestors form human chain against banks' power

National: 12 Nov 11
Thousands of demonstrators in Berlin and Frankfurt gathered on Saturday to protest against the continuing power of the banks. In the capital, protesters assembled to form a human chain. READ »

Putting Bavarian housewives before disadvantaged children

Analysis & Opinion: 9 Nov 11
Bavarian conservatives’ insistence on paying parents to keep their children out of public day care has made a mockery of Angela Merkel’s family policies, writes Der Tagesspiegel’s Hans Monath. READ »

Home is where the tax breaks are for Michael Schumacher

Sport: 8 Nov 11
Seven-time world Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has caused a stir in Germany by insisting "Switzerland is the only home I have". READ »

Faulty AC could cost spy headquarters €9.7 mln

National: 7 Nov 11
Authorities have discovered serious defects in the air conditioning system of the new headquarters being built to house Germany’s BND foreign intelligence service, potentially costing nearly €10 million to fix. READ »

Merkel's coalition agrees tax break plan

Politics: 7 Nov 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed a comprehensive tax cut plan on Sunday evening in an effort to resolve an internal coalition dispute between her conservatives and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). READ »

Most Germans want public vote on euro issues, survey says

Politics: 6 Nov 11
Over 70 percent of Germans want to vote directly on key matters affecting Europe and the euro, a new national poll shows. Greece cancelled a public referendum on the euro bailout after a backlash from European leaders. READ »

Germany to enjoy bumper tax revenue

Business & Money: 4 Nov 11
This year promises to be a bumper year for Germany in terms of tax revenues, allowing the eurozone's powerhouse economy to make further progress in bringing down its deficit, new data showed Friday. READ »

Lufthansa agrees to sell British Midland

Business & Money: 4 Nov 11
German airline Lufthansa said on Friday it has agreed in principle to sell its loss-making unit British Midland to the International Airlines Group, the holding company of British Airways. READ »

Ai Weiwei 'corpse' causes arty uproar in small town

Society: 4 Nov 11
Prosecutors will file no charges in the case of art exhibition featuring a mock corpse of Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei, which caused a commotion in a small Rhineland-Palatinate town. READ »

Gabriel demands G20 set new economic course

Politics: 3 Nov 11
Sigmar Gabriel, head of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, has joined two other centre-left European leaders, Britain’s Ed Miliband and Sweden’s Hakan Juholt, ahead of the G20 summit to call for a "New Deal" for the world economy. READ »

The ins and outs of income tax

Lifestyle: 3 Nov 11
Filing taxes is never fun, but in a foreign country it can be downright daunting. Joe Morgan sifts through the German tax code so you don’t have to. READ »

Mickey Rourke trashes Germany

Society: 2 Nov 11
Mickey Rourke has launched a stinging attack on Germany, where the US actor recently bought a house in Wiesbaden for his Russian girlfriend. He slammed the country's doctors, its "boring" cities, and his girlfriend's "German personality." READ »

Businesses fret over delayed electronic income tax system

Business & Money: 1 Nov 11
Germany fiscal officials are citing “technical delays” for postponing the nationwide introduction of an electronic income tax tracking system starting in 2012. The delay has some businesses grumbling. READ »

‘If the CDU loses in 2013, it will lose its identity’

Analysis & Opinion: 31 Oct 11
Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives performed a dramatic U-turn this weekend by proposing a minimum wage in Germany. The Local’s media roundup explores the cause and implications of her party's leftward swerve. READ »

Schäuble calls for financial transaction tax

Business & Money: 31 Oct 11
Eurozone members could introduce a financial transaction tax even if other EU countries were opposed, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble told the Financial Times in an interview published Monday. READ »

A dual citizenship double standard in Germany

Analysis & Opinion: 26 Oct 11
As Germany this week marks a half century of mass Turkish immigration, The Local’s Marc Young explains why it’s time to end the country’s hypocritical stance towards dual citizenship. READ »

Bike revolution sparks clash with motorists

Society: 21 Oct 11
Germany might still be known for its high-speed autobahns, but in cities, bicycles are now so popular that a war of words has broken out between drivers and cyclists over who rules the road. READ »

Coalition agrees to tax cuts in 2013

Politics: 20 Oct 11
Germany’s governing coalition on Thursday agreed to modest tax relief starting in 2013 after Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble and Economics Minister Philipp Rösler announced plans to adjust tax brackets for inflation. READ »

Greenpeace's new Rainbow Warrior premiers in Hamburg

Society: 20 Oct 11
The Rainbow Warrior III, Greenpeace’s brand new ship, docked in Hamburg on Thursday, where it will be opened to visitors over the weekend to celebrate its launch and maiden voyage. READ »

Opposition vents fury over new EFSF extension

National: 19 Oct 11
German opposition parties have demanded another parliamentary vote following reports that the French and German governments are planning to expand the eurozone financial safety net even further. READ »

Greens plan to raise taxes for top earners

Politics: 15 Oct 11
The Green party has joined the Social Democrats (SPD) in adopting a higher tax policy for top earners. If a Green-SPD centre-left coalition came to power in Germany, the top rate of income tax could rise from 42 to 49 percent. READ »

Occupy Wall Street comes to Germany

National: 15 Oct 11
Thousands of demonstrators joined the "Occupy Wall Street" movement in several German cities on Saturday, protesting against the global financial system. Similar demonstrations took place around the world. READ »

Stolen data to be used to prosecute tax dodgers

National: 14 Oct 11
Germany will prosecute tax fraudsters using stolen data it bought about its citizens who secretly deposited assets in HSBC bank in Luxembourg, the Financial Times Deutschland will report Friday. READ »

Germany ready to impose financial transaction tax

Business & Money: 13 Oct 11
Germany is prepared to introduce a tax on financial market transactions on its own if it is unable to bring its European partners on board, according to Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble. READ »

Top one percent earners pay 25 percent of income tax

Business & Money: 12 Oct 11
Germany’s top earners cover a quarter of the country’s income tax, the German statistics office revealed Wednesday, but millions of Germans only earn a fraction of their income. READ »

Making a castle your home

Lifestyle: 11 Oct 11
Rich in castles and stately manors, Germany has plenty for sale to both commoners and bluebloods alike. Sally McGrane reports on buying your own fairytale home. READ »

Ecclestone's F1 banker blackmail claim bolstered

Sport: 8 Oct 11
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone's allegation that he was blackmailed into paying a German banker millions of dollars for the commercial rights of the sport have been backed by a former colleague of the banker. READ »

German taxis rank well for service but poorly on price

Society: 6 Oct 11
Taxi customers in Munich, Cologne and Berlin get some of the best service in Europe – but pay for the privilege with some of the highest prices, according to test results published on Thursday by motorists’ organisation ADAC. READ »

Government doubles civil servants' Christmas bonuses

National: 6 Oct 11
The German government will double civil servants’ Christmas money next year, in a turnaround of austerity measures introduced in 2006. READ »

Deutsche Bank to miss profit target

Business & Money: 4 Oct 11
Germany's largest bank - Deutsche Bank - said on Tuesday it would miss its profit target for the current year in face of financial market turbulence. READ »

Volvo Diplomat Sales - more than just selling a car

Lifestyle: 4 Oct 11
If you're a diplomat or have tax-free status at an international organization, a special scheme from Volvo means that you can buy a premium car at favourable prices - and gain many benefits besides. READ »

Merkel's coalition holds, passes euro bailout

National: 29 Sep 11
The Bundestag approved the expansion of the eurozone bailout fund by a huge majority on Thursday. Chancellor Angela Merkel breathed a sigh of relief as 315 government MPs voted her way, averting a damaging revolt. READ »

Tobacco industry opposes greater warnings despite increased sales

Business & Money: 23 Sep 11
Tobacco executives are worried about requirements for more warnings on cigarettes as well as higher tax rates and a growing amount of black market tobacco, all things they say will eat into revenue. READ »

Cabinet approves tax deal on money hidden in Switzerland

Business & Money: 21 Sep 11
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet approved a double-taxation deal with Switzerland on Wednesday, aiming to end a long-standing dispute over tax and banking secrecy. READ »

The Best of Berlin in September

Lifestyle: 20 Sep 11
Exberliner, Berlin’s leading English-language magazine, in September samples exquisite American coffee, tries out a new social network for artists, nibbles on Swedish candy and tours the city in style with a re-designed Rickshaw. READ »

Computerised car drives itself around Berlin

Science & Technology: 19 Sep 11
A high-tech concept car has been driving itself around Berlin and nearby autobahns since the summer, gaining accident-free experience in traffic before being introduced to the public by its creators. READ »

Credit Suisse ends tax probe with €150 mln

Business & Money: 19 Sep 11
Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse said on Monday that it has reached a deal with German authorities to end a tax evasion probe, and that it would pay €150 million ($205 million) to settle the case. READ »

Berlin goes to the polls

Politics: 18 Sep 11
Voting began in Berlin on Sunday for a state election expected to yield yet another setback for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her governing coalition. READ »

Schleswig-Holstein opens its doors to online gambling

National: 16 Sep 11
Owners of online gambling sites are hailing a decision by the state of Schleswig-Holstein to liberalise gambling regulations, saying the decision could help revolutionise the gaming market. READ »

OECD says Germany not producing enough skilled workers

Education: 13 Sep 11
Germany is falling behind in its production of skilled young workers, according to a report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which shows stagnation of the number of people attending higher education. READ »

Another car arsonist arrested in Berlin

Society: 7 Sep 11
Berlin police on Wednesday arrested another suspect in their investigation into the spate of car arson attacks in the German capital. Over 540 road vehicles have been burnt out since the start of the year – including six more overnight. READ »

Commerzbank chief predicts more market turbulence

Business & Money: 6 Sep 11
The head of Germany’s Commerzbank predicted continued instability in European financial markets for years to come in an interview on Tuesday. READ »

Arms dealer tied to CDU scandal gets retrial

Politics: 6 Sep 11
A Tuesday German court ruling ordered the partial re-trial of Karlheinz Schreiber, a Canadian-German arms dealer who was a key player in a party funding scandal that helped propel Chancellor Angela Merkel to power. READ »

Taxi driver locks woman in boot after fare dispute

National: 5 Sep 11
A taxi driver in Hamburg became so enraged during a fare dispute with a passenger that he beat the woman and then locked her in the car boot for five hours before she was freed, the police reported on Monday. READ »

Public deficit drops to three-year low

Business & Money: 1 Sep 11
Germany announced on Thursday a drop in its public finance deficit to 0.6 percent during the first half of the year, the lowest level since early 2008. READ »

Rich call for higher taxes

Business & Money: 31 Aug 11
Wealthy Germans are joining what is becoming a European trend: Ultra rich people saying they are willing to carry a higher tax burden in order to help the continent’s economies struggling with crushing levels of debt. READ »

Street prostitutes taxed via vending machine

Society: 30 Aug 11
The Rhineland city of Bonn is now requiring sex workers to purchase a daily tax ticket from a vending machine to walk the streets – ostensibly to make taxation fairer for prostitutes who work in brothels. READ »

Tax cuts will be moderate, says Merkel

Business & Money: 29 Aug 11
Tax relief promised for 2013 will be moderate, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview on Sunday offering an early glimpse of a policy held dear by her pro-business coalition partners. READ »

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