WRITTEN QUESTION E-2797/00 by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Top rate of capital gains tax charged in each country of the European Union.
Date: 2000-09-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU Member State, capital gains tax

19.6.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 174 E/11

(2001/C 174 E/011)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2797/00

by Lord Inglewood (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 September 2000)

Subject: Top rate of capital gains tax charged in each country of the European Union

Would the Commission please draw up a table showing the top rate of capital gains tax charged on
disposal of shares in publicly quoted companies in each country of the European Union?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2795/00, E-2796/00 and E-2797/00
given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(13 November 2000)

The three questions mainly relate to taxation of individuals. There is a great diversity among Member
States on the way this taxation is organised. This has to do with the progressivity of the tax scales, the
definition of the tax bases, the exemptions (e.g. for some social security benefits), the tax deductions such
as family allowances, and special schemes for capital income or real estate. Given the complexity of these
issues that are not harmonised at Community level, it is difficult to make comparisons of specific tax
provisions in the Member States and to draw conclusions on the tax burden on the basis of the top
marginal rate of these taxes.

The Commission is working on an improvement of information on the tax systems in the Member States.
As a first step, the national data collected in the (cid:145)Inventory of Taxes levied in the Member States of the
European Union(cid:146) (1) have been updated (rates as percentage as of 1 January 1999). The top rates of state
tax on personal income with their respective thresholds of income, according to information received from
Member States, are listed below. In some countries, regional or local taxes are also levied. These may be
quite substantial. The top rate of these regional and local taxes may be higher than the top rate of the state
tax.

Top marginal rate
of the state tax

Threshold
in national currency

Threshold in euro

Regional
or local taxes
levied

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

55

15

51

45

2 443 000

60 560,39

5-8

258 400

114 696

34 636,68

58 643,13

15 825 000

46 787,69

39,60

11 000 000

66 111,33

54

46

46

46

60

50

40

38

25

40

295 070

14 000

44 983,13

17 776,33

135 000 000

69 721,68

2 640 000

65 443,89

105 954

700 000

48 079,83

50 870,98

6 405 000

31 948,00

315 000

360 000

27 100

52 979,20

42 969,68 (2)

44 587,03 (2)

28,6-33,5

No

No

8,4 (1)

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

15-20

27-33

No

(1) As additional part of the state income tax.
(2) On the basis of market rates on 13.9.2000.

C 174 E/12

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

19.6.2001

The top rates of personal inheritance tax are as follow:

Belgium
Denmark
Germany
Greece
Spain
France
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Austria
Portugal
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom

80
40
50
Na
34 (1)
60
40
33
15
68
60
50
48
30
40

(1) Additional local taxes can be applied.

Furthermore capital gains are usually taxed as personal or corporate income. A few Member States do not
levy tax on capital gains at all. There is wide range of tax rates on these revenues.

(1) Next edition 2000 (situation on 1.1.1999) will be published in the near future by the Office for Official Publications

of the European Communities.

(2001/C 174 E/012)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2819/00

by Marco Cappato (TDI) to the Commission

(5 September 2000)

Subject: Council annual report on human rights: Commission(cid:146)s position on calls made by Parliament

In its report on the (cid:145)Annual report by the Council on human rights in the European Union (1998-1999)(cid:146),
the European Parliament states in paragraph 10 that it (cid:145)(cid:133) regrets the disappointing nature of the report(cid:146)s
content which is merely a statement of fact(cid:146), and in paragraph 11 that it (cid:145)sincerely hopes that the next
Council report will contain a country-by-country detailed analysis of developments in the human rights
situation in the EU and proposes that monitoring systems and strategies be introduced in the future to
improve respect for such rights pursuant to Articles 6 and 7 of the TEU(cid:146). In paragraph 92 Parliament also
states that it (cid:145)considers that the role of the Council(cid:146)s annual report on human rights should be specified
and should hold a European analysis of human rights developments,
including rights for national
minorities, in the various Member States and a definition of strategies to enable national and European
policies in this field to evolve with a view to improving their coherence(cid:146).

Does the Commission share the opinion of the European Parliament?

Does the Commission not consider that it would be useful for an insterinstitutional procedure to be
launched in order to involve all of the institutions in the drawing up of an annual report of the Union on
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the EU?

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(8 December 2000)

The Commission shares in principle Parliament(cid:146)s view that the Annual Report by the Council on human
rights should contain an even more detailed analysis of human rights developments, including rights for
national minorities.

The Commission does not take part in the drafting of a Council report; under the provisions of the EC
Treaty, however, it keeps a constant watch on respect for fundamental rights.