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German Federal Fiscal Court (BFH), Judgment of April 23, 2026 – X R 29/22

In a decision of considerable importance for cross-border tax matters, Germany’s Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof – BFH) held that disability compensation paid by the United States government may qualify for tax exemption in Germany. Particularly noteworthy is the Court’s conclusion that Section 3 No. 6 of the German Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz – EStG) is not limited to benefits financed from German public funds.

BFH-Urteil vom 23.04.2026 – X R 29/22

Mit einem für grenzüberschreitende Sachverhalte wichtigen Urteil hat der Bundesfinanzhof entschieden, dass eine von den USA gezahlte Invaliditätsentschädigung („VA Disability Compensation“) auch in Deutschland steuerfrei sein kann. Besonders bemerkenswert ist dabei die Aussage des Gerichts, dass § 3 Nr. 6 EStG nicht auf Leistungen aus deutschen öffentlichen Mitteln beschränkt ist.

US citizens often complain that they are discriminated against in terms of taxation when they come to Germany and take up residence there. In some cases, Germany is then accused of double taxation as the country of residence. The argument is: “The income has already been taxed in the US.” This argument fails to recognize the real reasons for what is sometimes indeed double taxation.

In the US, tax-beneficial retirement plans can be inherited. This is not the case with comparable tax-beneficial company or private pension plans in Germany. Nevertheless, income from US plans are taxable in Germany if the beneficiary is resident in Germany.

In den USA können steuerbegünstigte Altersvorsorgepläne vererbt werden. Dies ist bei vergleichbaren Plänen der steuerlich begünstigten betrieblichen und privaten Altersvorsorge in Deutschland nicht der Fall. Gleichwohl müssen Erträge aus diesem Plan in Deutschland versteuert werden, wenn der Begünstigte in Deutschland ansässig ist.

Payments from US pension plans must be taxed in Germany if the beneficiary is deemed to be resident in Germany. This applies to both US citizens and Germans who have their main residence in Germany. Until now, the German taxation regime for payouts from these plans was very favorable. This has changed fundamentally as of January 1, 2025.

Auszahlungen aus US-Altersvorsorgeplänen müssen in Deutschland besteuert werden, wenn der Leistungsempfänger in Deutschland als ansässig gilt. Das gilt sowohl für US-Staatsbürger aber auch Deutsche, die in Deutschland ihren Hauptwohnsitz haben. Bisher war das deutsche Besteuerungsregime für Auszahlungen aus diesen Plänen sehr vorteilhaft. Dies hat sich zum 1. Januar 2025 grundlegend geändert.

So far, withdrawals to persons who are tax resident in Germany were only taxed on the difference between the withdrawal and attributable contributions. If the recipient of the payment had reached the age of 60 and the plan had been in existence for more than 12 years, only half of the difference was taxed.

Germany has an inheritance and gift tax that addresses inheritances and gifts in respect of taxation in a national and international context. This includes the transfer of assets from tax residents and non-residents. If the taxable persons are resident in Germany, the worldwide assets are subject to this tax (as an unlimited tax liability). In the case of non-residents, generally only German assets are taxed (as a limited tax liability), although there are exceptions, particularly for tax residents who transfer their domicile abroad. In a series of articles, we will describe the scenarios of cross-border inheritances and gifts from a German perspective.

Grenzüberschreitende Sachverhalte werden von der deutschen Erbschaftsteuer erfasst, wenn ein Anknüpfungspunkt in Deutschland besteht. Auf der personellen Ebene ist dies der Fall, wenn entweder der Erblasser oder der Empfänger (Erbe, Vermächtnisnehmer, Pflichtteilsberechtigte) im Inland ansässig sind. Sachlich ist der Anknüpfungspunkt im Inland belegenes Vermögen.

In the USA, the Limited Liability Company (LLC) is regarded as a form of company that is easy to set up, flexible to handle and yet beneficially offers personal limitation of liability for its shareholders (members). Special features must be observed if its shareholders are resident in Germany. Some of the special features are described in these two articles.

Die Limited Liability Company (LLC) gilt in den USA als Gesellschaftsform, die einfach zu gründen, flexibel zu handhaben und dennoch eine weitgehende Haftungsbeschränkung für ihre Gesellschafter bietet. Besonderheiten sind zu beachten, wenn ihre Gesellschafter in Deutschland ansässig sind. In zwei Artikeln werden einige der Besonderheiten dargestellt.

Die Limited Liability Company (LLC) gilt in den USA als Gesellschaftsform, die einfach zu gründen, flexibel zu handhaben und dennoch eine weitgehende Haftungsbeschränkung für ihre Gesellschafter bietet. Besonderheiten sind zu beachten, wenn ihre Gesellschafter in Deutschland ansässig sind. In zwei Artikeln werden einige der Besonderheiten dargestellt.

US pension plans are an important cornerstone of retirement planning both for US citizens and US residents. As long as citizens and residents remain in the USA the tax consequences are straight forward. However, if a US citizen or a citizen of another state relocates to Germany and withdraws money from such a plan, the tax situation changes and becomes more complex. This is particularly so because many questions regarding the German taxation of withdrawals form 401(k)-plans or IRAs are still unresolved. However, a recent ruling of the German Federal Fiscal Court clarified one outstanding point.

When shareholders of foreign based companies relocate to Germany, the tax implications can be severe. This is especially the case if the shareholder is the only manager of a small or medium-sized company. In this case the place of effective management of the company is also transferred to Germany with major tax consequences for the company and the shareholder alike. This article describes the basic tax issues but particularly the valuation of the company’s assets at the moment that is becomes a tax resident entity in Germany.