Paying coffee tax

Service Description

The coffee tax is a tax levied on coffee and goods containing coffee within the meaning of the law. These include, among others:

  • roasted coffee
  • instant coffee
  • cappuccino
  • Café au lait
  • espresso
  • mocha
  • latte macchiato
  • Certain confectionery containing coffee

You may produce, handle, process, store, receive or ship coffee in a tax warehouse without first incurring tax. A tax warehouse must be approved by the main customs office.
Tax is incurred as soon as the coffee is removed from the tax warehouse or goods containing coffee are produced there. In addition, the tax arises, among other things, if you

  • produce goods containing untaxed coffee without a permit from the main customs office or
  • supply coffee to persons without a permit for the tax-free commercial use of coffee or
  • import coffee or goods containing coffee from another country into Germany or transport them for commercial purposes.

The amount of tax is determined by the type and quantity of coffee or by the coffee content in the goods. The tax rate is EUR 2.19 per kilogram for roasted coffee and EUR 4.78 per kilogram for soluble coffee. If you transport goods containing coffee to Germany, flat-rate tax rates apply depending on the content of roasted coffee or soluble coffee in the goods.
If you have to pay the tax, you must submit a tax return without being asked to do so. If you do not wish to pay coffee tax initially, you will need permission from the main customs office.

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)

Competent Authority

Generalzolldirektion (GZD), Zentrale Auskunft Zoll

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