Deloitte Tax-News: Print

URL: http://www.deloitte-tax-news.de/german-tax-legal-news/federal-fiscal-courtruled-about-vat-liability-for-security-retentions-in-the-building-industry.html
25.02.2014
Federal Fiscal Court ruled about VAT
liability for security retentions in the
building industry
Security retentions can be considered as temporary fee reduction
so that full VAT liability only arises once they are released by the
customer.
As a common procedure in the building sector, customers hold back a specific
percentage of the remuneration as a security deposit to cover damage claims and
potential costs of construction defects detected later.
So far this security retention was considered by the German tax authorities as a part of
the remuneration, where the resulting VAT is due already at the tax point for the supply
regardless when the full payment has been received.
With its decision dated October 24, 2013 (published February 5, 2014) the BFH now
held that in cases were a supplier is not able to realize its claim for remuneration in full
within a period of two to five years due to a contractual agreed security retention, the
outstanding amount could be considered as bad debt in the moment of the supply and
should be considered as reducing the taxable base for the supply at that time.
Thus the supplier is allowed to reduce the taxable base for the period the supply took
place and is only liable for the remaining VAT on the security retention once the
security retention is finally released by the customer.
Contacts
Dr. Eduard Forster | München
[email protected]
Irene Abele | München
[email protected]
www.deloitte-tax-news.de
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