Tax issues in the sustainability strategy

Climate protection and sustainability in the sense of Sustainability are becoming increasingly important politically and socially - this also affects tax issues: not only under the aspect of "governance", but also in the "environment" and "social" fields of action, there are starting points for tax measures.

The EU Green Deal and other EU tax packages present companies with new challenges. Although environmental taxes such as the CO2 and plastic tax have not yet been implemented in Germany, for example, companies must prepare themselves. The reporting obligation for another instrument, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM for short), has been in force since October 2023. The inconsistent implementation of tax laws within the EU and in other third countries makes it difficult to be and remain compliant in terms of governance.

Sustainability aspects are also increasingly being included in reporting obligations: With the introduction of the GRI 207 Standard "Tax", companies reporting in accordance with the GRI Standard already had to publish tax information in their sustainability report. In the next step, the EU is planning mandatory reporting for all companies with a turnover of more than 750 million euros from 2025/26 with the "Public CbCR". In addition, more and more rating agencies are taking up Sustainability issues and also looking at tax policy. All of this favors Sustainability-initiated changes to supply chains. These may also have an impact on transfer prices or the transfer pricing model as well as indirect taxes and customs.

A look at social aspects quickly leads to the trending topic of "flexibilization of international work opportunities". "Work / Hire from Anywhere" also touches on a variety of tax issues such as payroll tax including travel expense accounting, social security, work permits and even the risk of establishing a permanent establishment. Many compliance rules therefore need to be examined very closely. However, the new working models also have an impact on social aspects, for example by improving equal opportunities. And they also have a positive impact on the environment, for example by reducing the number of journeys to the workplace.