"If you believe differently, be prepared for a shock and a big tax bill."
Hi rubik
See you your point. As of 2007, yes they will definetely enforce this, and people will be up for a rude awakening if they think different.
As far as going back to as far as 2004 (opening of the mainland bases) is concerned, no sweat !!
People had been in contact with their Finanzamt and the official tax return showed a zero balance with the german IR-services. As said before, it is just as of this year that the hole was plugged.
As Rubik and the others correctly said: The taxman will always win; even if heīs wrong (i.e. shoot first and then ask questions)
As far as German taxes are concerned, at least the tax rates are just about equal to the UK. People in other countries are even worse off. Germany/Switzerland for example. Pilots that used to fly for Germanwings/LH used to pay their taxes in Switzerland (domicile). Some of them as little as 10pc. Now they went up by factor 3 .... Thatīs what I call getting fu'*&%/&% !!! (So, yes .. it could be worse)
Btw, the change of this german tax clause was discussed in the Swiss government in October 2006. So, the UK and definetely easy have been knowing about this at least since 01/2007.
Did easy care: NO; Do they care now: NO. Thatīs why they sent a couple of gofers yesterday to the meeting in SXF. They didnīt have a clue and were just send to take the heat. Where was the "real management" (propably out on the golf course blowing their fuel saving bonus) ??
Anyways, guess we need to give it a couple of days, then look at the situation carefully, get a descent tax consultant and take it from there. The last thing we need now is everybody calling its Finanzamt individually as the the whole thing will perpetuate itself.
Cheerio