|
COMPONENTS OF TAX INCOME AND EXPENSE |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
€ million |
2008 |
2007 | ||
|
Current tax expense, Germany |
1,355 |
1,873 | ||
|
Current tax expense, abroad |
1,087 |
1,000 | ||
|
Current tax expense |
2,442 |
2,873 | ||
|
of which prior-period income/expense |
(–41) |
(148) | ||
|
Income from reversal of tax provisions |
–104 |
–129 | ||
|
Current income tax expense |
2,338 |
2,744 | ||
|
Deferred tax income/expense, Germany |
–86 |
104 | ||
|
Deferred tax income, abroad |
–332 |
–427 | ||
|
Deferred tax income |
–418 |
–323 | ||
|
Income tax income/expense |
1,920 |
2,421 | ||
In Germany, current tax expense is calculated on the basis of a uniform corporation tax rate of 15% (previous year: 25%) plus a solidarity surcharge of 5.5%. In addition to corporation tax, trade tax is levied on profits generated in Germany. Due to the non-deductibility of trade tax as a business expense from fiscal year 2008, the average trade tax rate is 13.7%, which results in a total domestic tax rate of 29.5%.
The change in the tax rates due to the Unternehmenssteuerreformgesetz 2008 (German Business Taxation Reform Act 2008) was already reflected in the calculation of the German companies’ deferred tax assets and liabilities for fiscal year 2007.
This resulted in deferred tax income of €75 million. The change in deferred tax assets and liabilities to be recognized directly in equity increased retained earnings by €58 million.
The local income tax rates applied for companies outside Germany vary between 0% and 42%. In the case of split tax rates, the tax rate applicable to undistributed profits is applied.
The realization of tax benefits from tax loss carryforwards from previous years resulted in a reduction in current income taxes in 2008 by €77 million (previous year: €405 million).
Previously unused tax loss carryforwards amounted to €2,172 million (previous year: €1,658 million). Tax loss carryforwards amounting to €808 million (previous year: €960 million) can be used indefinitely, while €95 million (previous year: €54 million) must be used within the next ten years. There are additional tax loss carryforwards amounting to €1,268 million (previous year: €645 million) that can be used within a period of 15 to 20 years. Tax loss carryforwards of €112 million (previous year: €483 million) are estimated not to be usable.
The decrease in tax loss carryforwards estimated not to be usable amounting to €371 million resulted primarily from the tax position of the US and Brazilian companies.
Deferred taxes are recognized where income from subsidiaries was tax-exempt in the past due to specific local regulations, but the tax effects on discontinuation of the temporary tax exemption are foreseeable. Tax benefits amounting to €73 million (previous year: €83 million) were recognized because of tax credits granted by various countries to compensate for the loss of tax relief where the amounts involved were unlimited.
No deferred tax assets were recognized for tax credits of €371 million (previous year: €313 million) that would expire in 2011 or 2017.
Due to the change in the statutory provisions in Germany, a refund claim for corporation tax was recognized as a current tax asset for the first time in fiscal year 2006. It was recognized in the balance sheet at a present value of €951 million. The present value of the refund claim was €965 million at the balance sheet date.
Deferred tax income resulting from changes in tax rates amounted to €54 million (previous year: deferred tax expenses of €76 million).
€1 million of the deferred taxes recognized in the balance sheet was charged to equity (previous year: €144 million charged to equity) without being recognized in the income statement. This amount includes €44 million (previous year: –) of deferred taxes credited to equity that are attributable to minority interests and a €2 million (previous year: –) reduction in deferred taxes resulting from changes in the consolidated Group. Recognition of actuarial gains or losses directly in equity in accordance with IAS 19 resulted in a decrease in equity from the recognition of deferred taxes of €57 million in 2008 (previous year: decrease by €610 million). Changes in deferred taxes on reserves for cash flow hedges increased equity by €134 million (previous year: decrease by €233 million). The deferred taxes required to be recognized on the
fair value measurement of securities increased equity by €68 million (previous year: increase of €103 million).
DEFERRED TAXES CLASSIFIED BY BALANCE SHEET ITEM
The following recognized deferred tax assets and liabilities were attributable to recognition and measurement differences in the individual balance sheet items and to tax loss carryforwards:
|
|
|
|
|
| ||||
|
|
Deferred tax assets |
Deferred tax liabilities | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
€ million |
Dec. 31, 2008 |
Dec. 31, 2007 |
Dec. 31, 2008 |
Dec. 31, 2007 | ||||
|
Intangible assets |
235 |
177 |
2,271 |
1,532 | ||||
|
Property, plant and equipment, and leasing and rental assets |
4,123 |
3,958 |
2,729 |
2,153 | ||||
|
Noncurrent financial assets |
1,059 |
178 |
2 |
1 | ||||
|
Inventories |
335 |
190 |
321 |
448 | ||||
|
Receivables and other assets (including Financial Services Division) |
771 |
413 |
5,749 |
4,862 | ||||
|
Other current assets |
129 |
43 |
41 |
41 | ||||
|
Pension provisions |
1,050 |
1,039 |
8 |
5 | ||||
|
Other provisions |
2,723 |
2,490 |
530 |
123 | ||||
|
Liabilities |
1,708 |
1,507 |
1,853 |
1,198 | ||||
|
Tax loss carryforwards |
663 |
313 |
0 |
0 | ||||
|
Valuation allowances on deferred tax assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 | ||||
|
Gross value |
12,796 |
10,308 |
13,504 |
10,363 | ||||
|
of which noncurrent |
(8,871) |
(7,134) |
(8,941) |
(6,653) | ||||
|
Offset |
9,885 |
8,229 |
9,885 |
8,229 | ||||
|
Consolidation |
433 |
1,030 |
35 |
503 | ||||
|
Amount recognized |
3,344 |
3,109 |
3,654 |
2,637 | ||||
In accordance with IAS 12, deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset if, and only if, they relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and relate to the same tax period.
The tax expense of €1,920 million reported for 2008 (previous year: expense of €2,421 million) was €29 million (previous year: €85 million) lower than the expected tax expense of €1,949 million that would have resulted from application of a tax rate applicable to undistributed profits of 29.5% to the profit before tax of the Group.
|
RECONCILIATION OF EXPECTED TO EFFECTIVE INCOME TAX |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
€ million |
2008 |
2007 | ||
|
Profit before tax |
6,608 |
6,543 | ||
|
Expected income tax expense |
1,949 |
2,506 | ||
|
Reconciliation: |
|
| ||
|
Effect of different tax rates outside Germany |
–141 |
–456 | ||
|
Proportion of taxation relating to: |
|
| ||
|
tax-exempt income |
–286 |
–306 | ||
|
expenses not deductible for tax purposes |
183 |
365 | ||
|
effects of loss carryforwards and tax credits |
–47 |
–287 | ||
|
temporary differences for which no deferred taxes were recognized |
422 |
486 | ||
|
Tax credits |
–23 |
–85 | ||
|
Prior-period current tax expense |
–41 |
148 | ||
|
Effect of tax rate changes |
–54 |
–76 | ||
|
Other taxation changes |
–42 |
126 | ||
|
Effective income tax income/expense |
1,920 |
2,421 | ||
|
Effective tax rate (%) |
29.1 |
37.0 | ||










