What is withholding tax reclaim?

When a foreign company pays you dividends or interest, the source country deducts withholding tax before the payment reaches you. If your country has a double tax treaty with that source country, you may have been overtaxed and are entitled to reclaim the excess. TaxReclaim automates the calculation and generates the official reclaim forms for 20+ countries.

What's the difference between a Foreign Tax Credit and a Withholding Tax Refund?

Foreign Tax Credit (FTC) is claimed on your current year tax return with your home country to reduce domestic tax liability. Withholding Tax Refund is claimed from the source country to recover excess tax above treaty rates, often for 3-5 years of past dividends. You can use both methods: claim the treaty-rate portion as a credit at home, and file for the excess directly with the source country.

How do I claim a Foreign Tax Credit on my annual tax return?

Report gross foreign income (before tax) on your return, then enter foreign tax paid in the double taxation relief section. The credit is capped at the treaty rate (typically 15%) and reduces your domestic tax dollar-for-dollar up to your domestic tax on that income. Example: €1,000 US dividends with €150 withheld - report €1,000 income and claim €150 credit.

How do I claim a Withholding Tax Refund for excess tax?

When source countries withhold more than treaty rates, file for refunds directly. Gather dividend certificates and tax residency proof, calculate excess (e.g., 35% withheld - 15% treaty = 20% refund), file country-specific forms (Form 210 for Spain, R-V1 for Germany, Form 5001 for France), and wait 3-12 months for processing. Most countries allow claims for 3-5 years retroactively.

Can I claim both a Foreign Tax Credit AND a Withholding Tax Refund?

Yes, and you often should! They address different parts of withheld tax. Claim the treaty-compliant portion (e.g., 15%) as Foreign Tax Credit on your annual return, and file for the excess above treaty rate as a WHT Refund with the source country. Example: Switzerland withholds 35% - claim 15% credit at home, reclaim 20% excess from Swiss tax authority.

How do I reclaim Swiss withholding tax on dividends?

Switzerland withholds 35% on dividends paid to foreign investors. If your country has a tax treaty with Switzerland, you can reclaim the excess above the treaty rate (typically 15%). Residents of Spain, Italy, Portugal and other Southern European countries use Form 60; other residents use Form 70. TaxReclaim determines the correct form automatically and generates it as a ready-to-submit PDF.

Which countries can I reclaim withholding tax from?

TaxReclaim supports reclaims from Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Norway, the USA, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Ireland and more — 20+ countries in total.

Is it common for people to not reclaim their eligible taxes?

Yes, billions go unclaimed annually. The IRS reports over $1 billion in unclaimed refunds yearly. Globally, $200 billion in withholding tax is deducted with 25% left unclaimed. In the EU, €8.4 billion per year goes unclaimed. Common reasons include complexity, lack of awareness, and time burden. This creates a 0.5%+ annual drag on portfolio performance.

How much can I potentially recover?

Recovery amounts yield 0.5%+ annual portfolio performance boost. Common recovery rates: Switzerland 35% withheld vs 15% treaty = 20% refund; Germany 26.375% vs 15% = 11.375% refund; France 25% vs 15% = 10% refund; USA 30% vs 15% = 15% refund. On €10,000 annual dividends with 12% average excess, recover €1,200/year or €6,000+ for 5 years retroactively.

What documents do I need?

Typically you'll need: dividend/interest certificates from your broker showing gross amounts and tax withheld, proof of tax residency (certificate from your local tax authority), original tax receipts, identification (passport or national tax ID), and bank account details (IBAN for EU claims). Most brokers can provide annual tax statements that consolidate all this information.

How long does the process take?

Foreign Tax Credits are processed with your annual tax return. WHT Refunds vary by country: Germany 6-12 months, France 3-6 months, Switzerland 6-9 months, USA 6-12 months, Norway 3-6 months. Refunds are sent directly to your bank account once approved.

What are the deadlines for reclaiming withholding tax refunds?

Deadlines vary by country. Most allow 3-5 years from the dividend or interest payment date. Germany: 4 years. France: December 31 of second year following payment. Switzerland: 3 years. Norway: 5 years. USA: 3 years. Important exception: the Netherlands only allows 2 years. Missed deadlines mean permanent loss of your refund.

Is my financial data secure?

Yes. We use 256-bit SSL encryption, the same security standard used by major banks. All data is stored in EU-based data centers, and we are fully GDPR compliant. We never sell or share your personal data with third parties, and you can request complete data deletion at any time.

Do I need to be a tax professional to use TaxReclaim?

No. TaxReclaim is designed for individual investors. Enter your dividend or interest payment details, select the source country, and the platform calculates your refund entitlement and generates the completed official form. The whole process takes around 3 minutes.

33 countries — including all of Eastern Europe

🇧🇬 Bulgaria · 🇨🇿 Czechia · 🇪🇪 Estonia · 🇭🇷 Croatia · 🇭🇺 Hungary · 🇱🇹 Lithuania · 🇱🇻 Latvia · 🇷🇴 Romania · 🇷🇸 Serbia · 🇸🇮 Slovenia · 🇸🇰 Slovakia — 11 countries most competitors don't cover.

97+ Countries • 28+ Official Forms

Supported Countries

Tax treaty coverage and official PDF form generation across 97+ countries — including 20 with ready-to-submit forms for withholding tax refunds and foreign tax credits

Official Forms

All forms are official government-approved templates, filled with your data and ready to submit to tax authorities

Treaty Compliant

Automatic calculation of treaty rates based on bilateral tax agreements between residence and source countries

Validated Output

PDFs are pre-validated for common errors, correct formatting, and completeness before download

🇪🇺 Europe

41 countries • 16 with forms

🇵🇹

Portugal

Guide

Modelo RF22

Refund

Pedido de reembolso de retenção na fonte sobre rendimentos de capitais

Deadline: 3 years

Anexo J (IRS)

Credit

Foreign income and tax credit declaration

🇪🇸

Spain

Guide

Modelo 210

Refund

Non-resident income tax return for dividends and interest

Deadline: 4 years

Foreign Tax Credit (IRPF)

Credit

Deducción por doble imposición internacional

🇫🇷

France

Guide

Form 5001

Refund

Demande de remboursement d'impôt retenu à la source

Deadline: 3 years

Form 2047

Credit

Déclaration des revenus encaissés à l'étranger

🇳🇴

Norway

Guide

RF-1534

Refund

Application for refund of withholding tax on dividends

Deadline: 3 years

RF-1147

Credit

Tax return for foreign income and tax credit

🇨🇭

Switzerland

Guide

Form 70 (variants)

Refund

Reclaim of Swiss withholding tax (35% → treaty rate)

Deadline: 3 years (NL: 2 years)

Form DA-1

Credit

Foreign tax credit declaration for Swiss residents

🇩🇪

Germany

Guide

Anlage AUS

Credit

Foreign income and tax credit supplement

🇬🇧

United Kingdom

Guide

SA106

Credit

Foreign income pages (Self Assessment)

🇳🇱

Netherlands

Guide

Box 3 Declaration

Declaration

Vermogen uit beleggingen (investment income)

Dividend Declaration

Credit

Foreign dividend tax credit declaration

🇧🇪

Belgium

Guide

IPP Tax Return

Credit

Impôt des personnes physiques - foreign income

🇦🇹

Austria

Guide

E1 Form

Credit

Einkommenssteuererklärung - foreign tax credit

🇸🇪

Sweden

Guide

K4 Form

Credit

Foreign income and tax credit declaration

Dividend Declaration

Declaration

Dividend income from foreign sources

🇫🇮

Finland

Guide

Form 16

Credit

Foreign income and tax credit declaration

Dividend Declaration

Declaration

Dividend income from foreign sources

🇩🇰

Denmark

Guide

Form 04.012

Credit

Foreign income and tax credit declaration

🇮🇪

Ireland

Guide

Form 11

Credit

Income tax return - foreign income supplement

🇮🇹

Italy

Guide

Quadro CE

Credit

Foreign tax credit declaration (credito d'imposta)

🇵🇱

Poland

Guide

PIT-ZG

Credit

Foreign income and tax credit declaration

🇦🇱

Albania

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇦🇲

Armenia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇦🇿

Azerbaijan

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇧🇦

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇧🇾

Belarus

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇧🇬

Bulgaria

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇭🇷

Croatia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇨🇾

Cyprus

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇨🇿

Czech Republic

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇪🇪

Estonia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇬🇪

Georgia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇬🇷

Greece

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇬🇱

Greenland

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇭🇺

Hungary

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇮🇸

Iceland

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇱🇻

Latvia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇱🇹

Lithuania

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇱🇺

Luxembourg

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇲🇹

Malta

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇲🇩

Moldova

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇷🇴

Romania

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇸🇰

Slovakia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇸🇮

Slovenia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇹🇷

Turkey

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇺🇦

Ukraine

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🌎 Americas

20 countries • 2 with forms

🇺🇸

United States

Guide

Form 1040-NR

Refund

U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return

Deadline: 3 years

🇨🇦

Canada

Guide

NR7-R

Refund

Application for Refund of Non-Resident Tax Withheld

Deadline: 2 years

🇦🇷

Argentina

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇧🇧

Barbados

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇧🇴

Bolivia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇧🇷

Brazil

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇨🇱

Chile

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇨🇴

Colombia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇩🇴

Dominican Republic

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇪🇨

Ecuador

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇸🇻

El Salvador

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇬🇹

Guatemala

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇯🇲

Jamaica

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇲🇽

Mexico

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇳🇮

Nicaragua

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇵🇦

Panama

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇵🇾

Paraguay

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇵🇪

Peru

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇺🇾

Uruguay

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇻🇪

Venezuela

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🌏 Asia-Pacific

18 countries • 2 with forms

🇦🇺

Australia

Guide

Refund Application

Refund

Application for refund of franking credits

🇯🇵

Japan

Guide

Form 250

Refund

還付請求書 (Tax refund application)

🇨🇳

China (PRC)

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇭🇰

Hong Kong

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇮🇳

India

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇮🇩

Indonesia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇮🇱

Israel

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇰🇿

Kazakhstan

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇰🇷

Korea

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇲🇾

Malaysia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇲🇳

Mongolia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇳🇿

New Zealand

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇵🇰

Pakistan

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇵🇭

Philippines

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇸🇬

Singapore

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇹🇼

Taiwan

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇹🇭

Thailand

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇻🇳

Vietnam

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🌍 Middle East

5 countries • treaty coverage

🇱🇧

Lebanon

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇴🇲

Oman

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇶🇦

Qatar

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇸🇦

Saudi Arabia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇦🇪

UAE

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🌍 Africa

13 countries • treaty coverage

🇩🇿

Algeria

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇦🇴

Angola

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇧🇼

Botswana

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇪🇬

Egypt

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇪🇹

Ethiopia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇬🇭

Ghana

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇲🇦

Morocco

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇳🇬

Nigeria

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇷🇼

Rwanda

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇿🇦

South Africa

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇹🇿

Tanzania

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇺🇬

Uganda

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

🇿🇲

Zambia

Treaty covered

Withholding tax relief via double tax treaty

Form Types Explained

Refund

Claim direct refund from source country when excess tax was withheld (e.g., 35% → 15% treaty rate)

Credit

Claim foreign tax credit in residence country to offset double taxation on foreign income

Declaration

Report foreign investment income for tax calculation and compliance in residence country

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