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COMMERZBANK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

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Other taxes<br />

The purchase, sale or other disposal of Notes does not give rise to capital transfer tax, value added<br />

tax, stamp duties or similar taxes or charges in Germany. However, under certain circumstances<br />

entrepreneurs may choose liability to value added tax with regard to the sales of Notes which would<br />

otherwise be tax exempt. Net wealth tax (Vermögensteuer) is, at present, not levied in Germany.<br />

Switzerland<br />

The following section gives a summary of the taxation of Fixed Rate Notes, Zero-Coupon-Notes and<br />

Floating Rate Notes (jointly referred to as "Standard-Notes") as well as structured Notes. The tax<br />

treatment of structured Notes (comprising, without limitation, notes in respect of which the interest<br />

rate, interest amount or redemption amount is to be determined by reference to shares, share baskets,<br />

indices, index baskets, currencies and currency baskets (jointly referred to as "Structured Notes")),<br />

depends on the specific features of the respective notes.<br />

Income Taxation<br />

Notes and Structured Notes held as private assets<br />

Standard-Notes<br />

Holders of Standard-Notes who are individuals resident in Switzerland for tax purposes holding<br />

Standard-Notes as private assets and receiving payments of interest on Standard-Notes (no matter<br />

whether the Standard-Notes are classified as bearing a "predominant-one-time-interest-payment" or<br />

not, as explained below) are required to include such payments in their income tax return and will be<br />

taxable on any net taxable income (including the payments of interest on the Standard-Notes) for the<br />

relevant tax period.<br />

If such Holder of Standard-Notes sells or otherwise disposes of Standard-Notes during the taxation<br />

year, he or she realises either a tax-free capital gain or a tax-neutral capital loss, provided that such<br />

Standard-Notes are not classified as Standard-Notes with a "predominant one-time-interest-payment"<br />

(Obligation mit überwiegender Einmalverzinsung). Standard-Notes are classified as being<br />

predominant-one-time-interest-bearing if the yield-to-maturity predominately derives from one-timeinterest-payments<br />

such as an original issue discount or a repayment premium rather than from<br />

periodic interest payments. In that case, the amount received upon sale or redemption less the issue<br />

price (if the Standard-Notes were purchased at their issuance) or the purchase price (if the Standard-<br />

Notes were purchased thereafter) will be classified as a taxable interest payment (as opposed to a taxfree<br />

capital gain). Losses realised on the sale of Standard-Notes with a "predominant one-timeinterest-payment"<br />

may be offset against gains realised within the same tax period on the sale of any<br />

notes with a "predominant one-time-interest-payment" (plus the periodic income thereon). Repayment<br />

of capital is not taxable.<br />

Structured Notes<br />

Structured Notes are composed of a derivative financial instrument and a bond. If the bond part of the<br />

Structured Note can not been recorded separate from the derivative financial instrument, the<br />

Structured Note will be classified as a non-transparent derivative financial instrument and the entire<br />

return on the Structured Note over the initial investment will be classified as a taxable interest<br />

payment. Non-transparent derivative financial instruments will usually be classified as notes with a<br />

"predominant one-time-interest-payment" and be taxed in accordance with the principles set forth<br />

above relative to Standard-Notes with a "predominant one-time-interest-payment".<br />

If the bond part of Structured Notes can be set and if further the predominant interest yield of the<br />

Structured Notes does derive from a one-time-interest-payment, then any value increase on the bond<br />

part from purchase to sale or redemption will be taxable pursuant to the so-called "modified method of<br />

spread taxation" (Modifizierte Differenzbesteuerung). Any other payment or return will be classified as<br />

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