Last reviewed 2026-07-08
Reclaiming 🇩🇪 Germany withholding tax with Interactive Brokers
On German shares held at Interactive Brokers, the full 26.375% (25% Kapitalertragsteuer plus the 5.5% solidarity surcharge) is withheld upstream in the German custody chain — IBKR is not a German paying agent and does not grant treaty relief at source for German dividends. A treaty resident recovers the excess above 15% by filing electronically with the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (BZSt), using the German tax voucher IBKR issues on request.
Interactive Brokers does not apply relief at source for Germany
For German-source dividends, Interactive Brokers is not a German paying agent — the full 26.375% (25% Kapitalertragsteuer + 5.5% solidarity surcharge) is withheld upstream in the German custody chain and reclaimed from the BZSt afterwards. The reduced-rate relief IBKR applies on some markets is for US and certain other dividends, not German shares. IBKR issues a German tax voucher (Steuerbescheinigung) on request, for a fee.
What you can reclaim
Example: EUR1,000 in Germany dividends
How to reclaim it
- 1
Request your German tax voucher from IBKR
Ask IBKR Client Services for the German tax voucher (Model III Steuerbescheinigung) showing the dividend and the Kapitalertragsteuer + solidarity surcharge withheld. IBKR charges a fee per request.
- 2
Get a certificate of residence
Obtain a certificate from your home tax authority for the period in which the income accrued.
- 3
File electronically via the BZSt online portal (BOP)
Submit the refund application under §50c EStG (with the tax treaty) through the BZSt online portal. Paper applications are not accepted — documents are uploaded to BOP.
- 4
Submit within 4 years
File within four years of the end of the year the dividend was paid (and not before six months after the tax was paid), including proof of beneficial ownership on the record date.
Documents you'll need
- Electronic §50c EStG refund application via the BZSt online portal (BOP)
- Certificate of residence for the time the income accrued
- Original German tax voucher (Model III Steuerbescheinigung) from IBKR showing the dividend and 26.375% withheld
- Proof of beneficial ownership of the shares on the dividend record date (a common rejection reason at the BZSt)
Germany tax guide
Full withholding-tax and treaty detail for Germany.
Deadline: file within 4 years of the dividend payment. Miss it and the excess is unrecoverable.
Frequently asked questions
Does Interactive Brokers reclaim German withholding tax?
Not for German-source dividends. The full 26.375% is withheld upstream in the German custody chain; you reclaim it from the BZSt. IBKR issues the required German tax voucher on request, for a fee.
Doesn't IBKR apply a reduced treaty rate?
On some markets (e.g. US dividends) IBKR applies reduced rates, but not for German shares — expect the full 26.375% and reclaim the excess.
How do I file the German reclaim?
Electronically, via the BZSt online portal (BOP) under §50c EStG. Paper applications are not accepted. Tax Reclaim calculates your recoverable amount and the documents you need for the filing.
What is the deadline?
Four years after the end of the calendar year in which the dividend was paid (and not ending before six months after the tax was paid).
Researched 2026-07-08 from: BZSt — §50c EStG capital-income refund, BZSt — electronic refund procedure, German Tax Tracker — IBKR vouchers. Rates and broker behaviour change — verify with the authority before filing.
Import your Interactive Brokers statement
Upload your Interactive Brokers export, and Tax Reclaim works out your recoverable Germany withholding tax and the exact documents you need to file. Flat €29/year.
Import from Interactive Brokers