Regulatory Analysis
The German Tax Authority (Bundestag) approved the “Law on the Modernisation of Insurance Tax Law and Amendment of Employment Law Regulations” at the end of last month. The law limits the IPT exemption currently available on personal insurance such as Health and Disability insurance. Going forward the tax exemption should only apply to insurance policies […]
HMRC has issued an insurance premium tax (IPT) consultation on Administration and Unfair Outcomes which follows the previous IPT call for evidence in 2019. This consultation focuses on improving IPT administration and preventing IPT avoidance and evasion such as value shifting and unregistered insurers. The deadline for responses is 5 February 2021. More information can […]
The Spanish Government presented its Budget Law project for 2021 on 28 October 2020. The project includes a plan to increase the insurance premium tax (IPT) rate from 6% to 8%. This move would increase the revenue generated by IPT in Spain by one third. The Budget Law project will now be debated and votes […]
The German Parliament last week published in its Federal Law Gazette a law to reduce the insurance premium tax applied on drought insurance from 19% to 0.03%. The reduction brings the rate for drought insurance in line with tax rates for other agricultural risks, such as hail, frost, and flood damage. Discussions in Parliament touched […]
The Portuguese tax authorities have postponed the implementation of their new Stamp Duty reporting system until 2021. The decision has been taken in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis that led the Portuguese government to declare a State of Emergency. The previous Stamp Duty reporting system will therefore remain in place until the end of […]
The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced his UK budget for 2020 earlier today. After three rate rises in the previous five years, Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) gained a reprieve from any further increases. The Chancellor mentioned in his Budget document that the Government will shortly publish a summary of responses to the recent call for […]
The Portuguese tax authorities are implementing a new filing system to declare Stamp Duty in Portugal in 2020. Tax payers will now be required to provide detailed information on a transactional basis in order to issue the Stamp Duty return. For insurers, this means that, each month, they will be required to report: The tax […]
The Institute for Insurance Supervision (IVASS) in Italy has published the management charge rate for the year 2020. It set the rate for 2020 at 4.12%. The management charge reduces the taxable basis applied to the Road Accident Victims Fund (RAVF) and Hunting Accident Victims Fund (HAVF) and is published annually in November.
Online filing is becoming more popular in the European Union and three new territories look set to modernise how Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) should be filed going forward. France has introduced an article in its 2020 Budget Law that will make the online filing and payment of IPT compulsory by 1 January 2022 at the […]
Insurance companies covering risks in Greece must now report their insurance policies annually to meet new obligations introduced by the Greek tax authorities. A report is due by 31 March each year listing all the invoices declared each quarter during the previous calendar year. Approving the law back in 2016, the Greek tax authorities have only recently […]
The Austrian tax authorities have confirmed that from fiscal year 2020, insurance companies writing in Austria both from their head office and their network of branches will be required to file single Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) and Fire Protection Tax (FPT) returns. This means that making separate IPT and FPT filings for branches will no […]
The Spanish Motor Insurers Bureau (OFESAUTO) has agreed its budget for fiscal year 2019 and 2020. OFESAUTO administers the Green Card in Spain and as part of its budget has reduced the rate from €0.07 to €0.06 for each card issued. The Spanish Green Card relates to motor insurance and is a fixed fee per […]
The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (CCS) now requires insurance companies to report and declare the surcharge to the Environmental Damage Compensations Fund through its new reporting system (SIR). This requirement took effect on 01 July 2019. As for Extraordinary Risks surcharges, detailed information on the policies subject to the 8% Environmental surcharge must now […]
On 17 January 2019, the European Court of Justice delivered its judgment in Case C-74/18, concerning the location of risk rules for insurance premium tax purposes. The case concerns insurance written by the UK insurer, referred to as ‘An Ltd’, which operates in Finland on a freedom of services basis, without a separate permanent place […]
The 2019 Finance Act has introduced a reduction in the tax on pleasure craft insurance. The rate will move down from 1.34% of the sum insured to 1% of the sum insured. The change applies to insurance policies where the insurance premium is due on 01 February 2019 or later. The tax on pleasure craft […]
The 2019 Budget Act was approved by the Italian Parliament on 30 December 2018. As anticipated, the approved budget includes an increase in the IPT prepayment rates. The approved rates are as follows: 85% in November 2019 for tax year 2020 90% in November 2020 for tax year 2021 100% in November 2021 for tax […]
Death cover of Payment Protection Insurance will be subject to 9% Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) for contracts issued on or after 01 January 2019. Previously such covers were subject to an IPT exemption. The change has been approved by the French Parliament as part of the 2019 Budget Law voted just before Christmas. The change […]
The Polish Insurance Ombudsman has suspended the Q4 2018 declaration and payment of the levy, citing article §17.5 of the Regulation of the Minister of Development and Finance. This permits the suspension of the Levy where the Ombudsman’s funding needs have been fully satisfied. The Q4 declaration would normally require the declaration of premiums collected […]