HUSUM WindEnergy 2010

Tax optimisation of wind energy projects

Munich, 16 September 2010 – Investments in wind power are very promising. Major business decision, however, have to be carefully considered also from a tax point of view, in particular in this industry. This was underlined by WTS World Tax Service just before the opening of the international leading HUSUM Wind Energy 2010 trade show. "For foreign or offshore activities, in particular, the fiscal authorities can provide both tailwind and headwind. Those involved in activities outside the national borders also bear higher tax risks“, says Eva Doyé, lawyer and head of the WTS Hamburg office. “The decisive criteria for investors are not only the legal form but also investment and financing structure as well as depreciation options.“ At the HUSUM Wind Energy trade show WTS - one of the major tax consulting firms in Germany - will offer tax workshops for investors and industrial companies in the wind energy industry (www.wts.de).

As many as 100,000 people work in the German wind energy industry. Wind power is one of the modern, sustainable and efficient energy sources. Northern Germany is the pioneering region for the utilisation of wind power as a regenerative energy source. The WTS Hamburg office is specialised in wind energy – the growth topic with a promising future and will offer short, concise and practice-oriented workshops presenting possible solutions and design approaches at the conference accompanying the HUSUM WindEnergy from 21 to 24 September.

For operators of wind farms and their investors the WTS experts will look into topics such as: What is the most suitable investment structure for wind farms at home and abroad? Which depreciation options are available? How are wind farm investors and operating companies taxed?

In co-operation with the Federal Association for Wind Energy e. V. the “Risks and Side Effects of Wind Power Investments Assessed by Experienced Tax Experts“ will be discussed on Tuesday, 21 Sep., 10.30 - 11.15, and Thursday, 23 Sep., 12.30 - 1.15. This workshop will also be held in English on Wednesday, 22 Sep., 11.30 - 12.15.

Further workshops address the particular interests of industrial companies in the wind energy industry: When does the risk of unplanned permanent establishments arise? What is the VAT treatment of supplies and services? What is a tax-relevant shifting of functions?

The WTS industry workshop will look into “Risks and Side Effects of Foreign and Offshore Activities “ on: Tuesday, 21 Sep., 3.00 - 4.00 and Friday, 24 Sep., 11.00 - 12.00.

Pictures and Press Materials

Wind power is one of the modern, sustainable and efficient energy sources.

Press Release (PDF)

Press contact

Florian Kestler
Business Development & Marketing
Thomas-Wimmer-Ring 1
80539 Munich
Phone: +49 (0)89 286 46-1565
Fax: +49 (0)89 286 46-2323
Email: presse@wts.de

Information on Husum WindEnergy2010:
From 21 to 25 September more than 950 exhibitors and an expected number of about 30,000 visitors will turn the exhibition site, which was expanded by 40 per cent to now 43,000 square metres, into the centre of the world-wide wind industry. HUSUM WindEnergy is organised by Messe Husum in co-operation with Messe Hamburg. The leading trade fair for the international wind energy industry takes place from 21 to 25 September and is accompanied by a congress and the windcareer job fair. The trade show is held under the joint auspices of Rainer Brüderle, Federal Minster for Economics and Technology, Norbert Röttgen, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Prof. Dr. Annette Schavan, Federal Minister for Education and Research for the windcareer job fair as well as Peter Harry Carstensen, Prime Minister of the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein. For further details please refer to www.husumwindenergy.com.

Information about WTS
WTS is an international consulting company with the divisions “Tax” and “Consulting”. The focus of the tax division lies on tax consulting for multinational corporations, national and international medium-sized companies as well as private individuals and non-profit organizations. In the business fields Investment Tax Law, M&A, Private Clients and Non-Profit Organizations, WTS has recently been able to expand the range of our services significantly. With regard to the consulting division, WTS specializes particularly in financial advisory as well as national and international accounting services. Employing more than 400 people and having representations in over 90 countries, WTS ranks among the major international tax consulting companies. WTS solely offers tax and business services consulting without auditing services in order to avoid any conflict of interest between consultancy and audit.