3.5 Withholding Taxes
Withholding taxes are imposed at the source of the tax
base and can be much more powerful than any direct
anti-avoidance efforts. There are different forms of withholding
taxes, but they all prevent shifting money so that
it will no longer be subject to taxation. A withholding
tax, for example, can tax a production facility directly,
based on the staff working there, and irrespectively of
its profits and losses. In Germany, a tax is assessed by
the municipalities (Gewerbesteuer), which at least to a
certain extent does tax the company regardless of the
revenue.