The ministry of finance has decreed that all trade tax assessments (notices of chargeable trading income) should be issued subject to the outcome of cases currently pending before the Supreme Tax Court and the Constitutional Court on the conformity of the Trade Tax Act with the constitution.

The EU has published its report on the results of the 2003 public consultation on the recast of the Sixth Directive. Editorial suggestions have been taken into account; calls for changes in substance have not.

The Bundesrat passed the Investment Fund Modernisation Bill in its November 28 sitting. Formal enactment into law is expected to follow shortly.

The ministries of finance and justice have drafted a bill establishing an independent audit office for the examination of the accounts of companies with stock exchange quotes.

The cost-plus method is one of the three transfer pricing methods accepted by the German tax authorities. (The other two are the comparable uncontrolled price method and the resale price method.)

The European Commission is on the verge of suggesting to the Council and Parliament that they adopt a revised community customs code in the interests of simplification, digitisation, modernisation of methods and tools, and of redefining the roles, rights and duties of customs offices, traders and carriers.

The Old Age Pension Bill adopted by the cabinet on December 3 moves from the present system of taxing pensions by restricting relief on the contributions to one of full relief now and full charge later.

The finance ministry has just published its latest tax revenue estimates showing further falls of € 1.4 bn in 2004 and of € 3.4 bn in 2005.

It is charged to trade tax in its own right, but allocates its remaining income to the partners for inclusion in their tax returns.

A new finance ministry decree bases the rate on the London gold price, now that there is no longer a Frankfurt gold fixing