Authorities - Berlin wants to make VAT fraud more difficult: New tax office
Berlin is repositioning itself in the fight against VAT fraud by foreign companies. To this end, Finance Senator Stefan Evers (CDU) opened the Berlin International Tax Office in Neukölln on Monday in the presence of District Mayor Martin Hikel (SPD). Evers handed over a symbolic key to the head of the office, Beate Penshorn. The new authority is centrally responsible for the sales tax of companies based in more than 100 countries throughout Germany.
Their number has risen considerably in recent years. With more than 115,000 registered foreign companies, it has increased more than tenfold since 2019. According to the tax authorities, more than 110,000 of these are based in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and earn their money from online trading in particular.
Previously, the Neukölln tax office was responsible for them. The launch of the new Berlin International Tax Office is intended to ensure that companies cannot evade their obligation to pay VAT in Germany. From the point of view of the Berlin tax authorities, the new tax office will help to combat international tax crime. It will reportedly start with 150 employees. The number of staff is to be increased to up to 250 by the end of 2024.
The launch of the Berlin International Tax Office was announced by the tax authorities - still under the Green Senator for Finance Daniel Wesener - in the fall of last year - at that time for August 2023.
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Source: www.stern.de
