18. Income Tax

Paid or outstanding income taxes and deferred taxes are shown under the item income taxes. Income taxes are made up of corporation tax, solidarity surcharge and trade tax. Companies domiciled in Germany pay corporation tax of 15.0 % and a solidarity surcharge of 5.5 % of the corporation tax expense. These companies and German-based subsidiaries in the form of limited partnerships are also liable for trade tax, which is imposed at different local rates. Trade tax does not reduce the amount of a company’s profits on which corporation tax is payable.

Components of Income Tax Expenses

Deferred taxes and current income tax in € thousand

 

2016

 

2015

Deferred taxes on temporary differences

 

- 6,017

 

- 1,948

Of which Domestic

 

- 6,045

 

- 1,510

Of which Foreign

 

28

 

- 438

Deferred taxes on losses carried forward

 

- 26

 

- 71

Of which Domestic

 

0

 

0

Of which Foreign

 

- 26

 

- 71

Total deferred taxes

 

- 6,043

 

- 2,019

Current income tax expense

 

47,004

 

34,021

Of which Domestic

 

31,268

 

21,138

Of which Foreign

 

15,736

 

12,883

Income tax expense recognised in the income statement

 

40,961

 

32,002

Current income tax expenses include tax expenditure from other accounting periods amounting to € 1,164 thousand (previous year: tax income of € 67 thousand).

Deferred tax assets and liabilities result from temporary differences and tax loss carry-forwards.

Deferred Taxes

 

 

Deferred tax assets

 

Deferred tax liabilities

in € thousand

 

31.12.2016

 

31.12.2015

 

31.12.2016

 

31.12.2015

Intangible assets

 

0

 

0

 

1,953

 

1,662

Property, plant and equipment and finance leases

 

0

 

0

 

13,220

 

9,903

Investment property

 

0

 

0

 

11,098

 

10,761

Financial assets

 

0

 

0

 

1,673

 

1,258

Inventories

 

554

 

317

 

0

 

0

Receivables and other assets

 

268

 

395

 

206

 

434

Pension and other provisions

 

90,677

 

67,405

 

1,973

 

2,181

Liabilities

 

6,820

 

6,540

 

5,277

 

6,034

Tax losses carried forward

 

0

 

26

 

0

 

0

 

 

98,319

 

74,683

 

35,400

 

32,233

Netted amounts

 

- 15,599

 

- 13,287

 

- 15,599

 

- 13,287

 

 

82,720

 

61,396

 

19,801

 

18,946

Reconciliation between the Income Tax Expenses and Hypothetical Tax Expenses based on the IFRS Result and the Group’s Applicable Tax Rate

in € thousand

 

2016

 

2015

Profit after tax

 

146,023

 

127,845

Income tax expense at hypothetical income tax rate of 32.28 % (previous year: 32.28 %)

 

47,136

 

41,268

Tax income (-), tax expenses (+) for prior years

 

831

 

- 288

Effect of tax rate change

 

232

 

0

Tax-free income

 

- 213

 

- 1,011

Non-deductible expenses

 

1,606

 

919

Trade tax additions and reductions

 

- 803

 

1,245

Permanent differences

 

- 948

 

- 247

Differences in tax rates

 

- 10,071

 

- 9,302

Impairment losses in deferred tax assets

 

2,033

 

952

Other tax effects

 

1,158

 

- 1,534

Actual income tax expenses

 

40,961

 

32,002

Deferred taxes are calculated on the basis of the tax rates currently in force in Germany or those expected to apply at the time of realisation. A tax rate of 32.28 % was used for the calculations in both 2016 and 2015. This is made up of corporation tax at 15.0 %, solidarity surcharge of 5.5 % of the corporation tax, and the trade tax payable in Hamburg of 16.45 %. Limited partnerships are also liable for trade tax. Due to special rules, property management companies generally do not pay trade tax. Due to rules on minimum taxation, tax loss carry-forwards are only partially usable in Germany. Tax losses of up to € 1 million can be set off against taxable profits without restriction, and higher tax losses up to a maximum of 60 %.

The effects of tax rates for domestic and foreign taxes that diverge from the Group parent company’s tax rate are reported in the offsetting and reconciliation under differences in tax rates.

Deferred tax assets are recognised on tax loss carry-forwards and temporary differences if it is sufficiently certain that they can be realised in the near future. The Group has no domestic corporation tax loss carry-forwards, no domestic trade tax loss carry-forwards, and no foreign tax loss carry-forwards (previous year: € 135 thousand) for which deferred taxes have been capitalised (previous year: € 26 thousand). No deferred tax assets are recognised for domestic corporation tax loss carry-forwards of € 4,057 thousand (previous year: € 5,392 thousand), domestic trade tax loss carry-forwards of € 4,271 thousand (previous year: € 3,632 thousand) and foreign tax loss carry-forwards of € 19,546 thousand (previous year: € 13,811 thousand). Under current legislation, tax losses can be carried forward in Germany without restriction.

Deferred tax assets of € 27,041 thousand (previous year: € 12,405 thousand) recognised directly in equity without effect on profit and loss come from actuarial gains and losses on pension provisions, cash flow hedges and unrealised gains/losses arising from available-for-sale financial assets.

Deferred Taxes recognised in the Statement of Comprehensive Income

 

 

Gross

 

Taxes

 

Net

in € thousand

 

2016

 

2015

 

2016

 

2015

 

2016

 

2015

Actuarial gains/losses

 

- 45,441

 

25,149

 

14,661

 

- 7,833

 

- 30,780

 

17,316

Cash flow hedges

 

231

 

381

 

- 74

 

- 130

 

157

 

251

Unrealised gains/losses on available-for-sale financial assets

 

- 164

 

- 11

 

49

 

12

 

- 115

 

1

 

 

- 45,374

 

25,519

 

14,636

 

- 7,951

 

- 30,738

 

17,568