EU: Council adopts new rules for harmonized withholding tax procedures (FASTER Directive)
The rules will become applicable as of January 1, 2030.
The EU Council on December 10, 2024, adopted the proposal on the Faster and Safer Tax Relief of Excess Withholding Taxes (FASTER) Directive, which includes:
- Common EU digital tax residence certificate
- Two fast-track procedures complementing the existing standard refund procedure in each member state, with member states being required to implement one (or a combination of both)
- Introduction of National Registers for financial intermediaries that will be able to facilitate the fast-track procedures
The adoption represents the last step in the adoption process and the FASTER Directive will now be published in the EU Official Journal.
The rules will become applicable as of January 1, 2030.
Read a December 2024 report prepared by KPMG’s EU Tax Centre