If the parent company moves its seat outside of the Netherlands or enters into a (legal or share) merger or a legal division, a final dividend tax settlement will be levied. This means that a kind of exit tax is levied on the available profit reserves in the dividend withholding tax law.

Objections against bill for conditional final settlement for dividend tax

Two objections can be made: on the one hand, double taxation is possible if the (new) country of  residence or the country of the shareholders does not provide in a scheme for avoidance of double taxation. If the company actually distributes the profit reserves as a dividend, regular dividend tax can be charged without an additional scheme and/or possible additional income tax. This results in double taxation. On the other hand, the Netherlands has entered into many tax treaties that do not provide for such a ‘final settlement’ or exit tax and thus violation of good faith towards treaty partners is at hand. Additionally, there are also constrictive aspects under European law. 

Retroactivity

This can be experienced as very constrictive as of the retroactive character to 10 July 2020 (noon), as there is no choice to be made and, de facto, a new tax is introduced. This exit tax is especially meant for large multinationals with a head office in the Netherlands.

More information?

Would you like more information about the conditional final settlement? Please contact Daniël van Meijgaarden, senior tax advisor with ABAB International, on telephone number +31(0)165-531348 or send Daniël an e-mail.