Since the entry into force of the Union Customs Code, the customs administration has been requesting the tax IDs of employees, managers and members of supervisory bodies as part of the application process for and re-evaluation of customs authorisations. After justified doubts from the business world were raised as to the legality of these requests, the customs administration temporarily suspended its requests. In its judgement of 16 January 2019, the ECJ now considers such requests to be permissible, in principle, but with a restriction placed on the group of persons whose tax IDs are required to be produced.
In its decision of 15.11.2018, the Tax Court in Munich rejected a claim for a repayment of import duties in the case of subsequent reduced transfer prices. The court referred the question to the ECJ for a preliminary ruling (judgment of 20.12.2017, C-529/16 – Hamamatsu) and was therefore then bound by this ruling.
The tax court decision is not final. A second referral to the ECJ by the Federal Fiscal Court does not appear to have been ruled out. Companies concerned should object to post-clearance recovery assessments and request that the procedure be suspended.
