In a recently reported Emerging Markets Series of DFA Investment Trust Company case (C -190/12) the European Court of Justice confirmed that investment funds based outside EU should benefit from the free movement of capital rule regarding investments in Europe (see link for more details). This judgment opens up the opportunity for non-EU investors to claim withholding tax refunds in some EU jurisdictions (in particular Germany, Poland, Spain and the Czech Republic). Follow-up information on selected EU jurisdictions is set out below.
Czech Republic
Czech law imposes a favorable tax regime on certain investment funds established in the EU, Norway and Iceland. It offers investment funds the opportunity to claim tax refunds, which should be of particular interest to non-EU investment funds achieving capital gains or income derived from their Czech-based immovable property.
Peter Varga
peter.varga@dentons.com
France
Since 2012, further to the judgment in Santander Asset Management and others ruling (joined cases 338/11 to 347/11), non-resident undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) are no longer required to pay withholding taxes on dividends received from France. Any withholding taxes collected at source should open up the right to claim refunds under certain conditions.
This ECJ judgment could trigger a legislative response from France which is currently difficult to predict. It could mean the enactment of a specific tax for French UCITS and a specific withholding tax for non-French UCITS. This was in fact the route taken by France after the High Court ruled in 2009 that French WHT charged on unearned income achieved by non-resident nonprofit organizations (where French nonprofit organizations were tax exempt) was illegitimate. The tax was set at 15%, instead of the original 25% rate that only applied to non-resident nonprofit organizations.
Jessie Gaston
jessie.gaston@dentons.com
Germany
Certain non-German investment funds investing in German companies should also benefit from this decision. German Investment Tax Act provides for a full WHT refund in case of capital income of the fund, but only for those established in Germany and not for comparable funds established abroad. Whether or not non-German funds can be considered comparable to German funds in terms of tax treatment needs a case-by-case analysis. The requirements for the applicability of the German Investment Tax Act changed recently due to the implementation of the AIFM Directive.
Thomas Voss
thomas.voss@dentons.com
Poland
A case was initiated by a Polish court which gives solid grounds for non-EU investors to claim refunds of overpaid WHT. Polish regulations offer income tax exemptions for domestic investment funds and funds based in the EU/EEA and there are exchange of tax information mechanisms with a number of jurisdictions. If tax has been paid on dividends from a Polish company, it should be analyzed if there are conditions for preferential treatment based on the EU principles of freedom of establishment and the free movement of capital.
Rafał Mikulski
rafal.mikulski@dentons.com
Romania
The principles of the case and their applicability are certain to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. It definitely sheds new light on European investments and should be explored especially in conjunction with the new Romanian law on exemption of tax for re-invested profits.
Delia Dragomir
delia.dragomir@dentons.com
Spain
Application of the case in Spain, along with other ECJ precedents (i.e. ECJ joined cases 338/11 to 347/11) would allow to investment funds located outside the EU/EEA to claim refunds of the withholding taxes paid on their Spanish sourced dividend income, on the amount exceeding the 1% tax rate applicable to Spanish resident investment funds. Chances of success would depend on fulfilling the requirements set by the ECJ in the case at hand.
Jose Ramon Vizcaino
joseramon.vizcaino@dentons.com
UK
As the UK does not impose withholding tax on dividends (other than REIT dividends), the impact of the case in the UK is limited.
Jeremy Cape
jeremy.cape@dentons.com
