How to reclaim withholding tax as an Austrian IBKR investor — Germany, Denmark, France

Published: 2026 · 12 min read · Austrian investors · IBKR · WHT reclaim · KeSt · DBA

After you file your E1kv, there's a second task most investors skip: claiming back the withholding tax you overpaid to foreign governments.

Germany withholds 26.375% on dividends. Austria's treaty with Germany caps it at 15%. The difference — 11.375% — is yours to reclaim from the German tax authority. For a €10,000 German dividend income, that's over €1,000 per year sitting uncollected.

Here are the real numbers from my own 2024+2025 IBKR portfolio:

Total: around €750 across two tax years. A few hours of paperwork.

This post walks through each country — what form, what documents, where to send it, and what to expect. I'll update the Germany section once the BZSt registration process completes.

Before you start: the Ansässigkeitsbescheinigung (ZS-AD)

Every country wants proof that you actually live in Austria and pay taxes there. The official form is called the Ansässigkeitsbescheinigung or ZS-AD (Zertifikat Steuerliche Ansässigkeit Deutsch).

How to get it: 1. Go to your local Austrian Finanzamt (or request by post) 2. Ask for Form ZS-AD ("Ansässigkeitsbescheinigung für Zwecke der Entlastung an der Quelle / Erstattung ausländischer Quellensteuer") 3. Fill in your name, Austrian address, AT Steuernummer, and the country you're filing for 4. The Finanzamt stamps and signs it — no fee

The process takes a few days. Once you have a stamped copy, make several photocopies — you'll need one for each country's filing.

KapFrei generates the WHT reclaim report (wht_reclaim.txt) automatically, listing each country, the reclaimable amount, and the applicable DBA treaty reference. It also auto-generates the Cerfa 5001 docx for France. The ZS-AD you still get yourself — it's a one-page Finanzamt stamp.

Germany (BZSt — §50c EStG)

Germany is the biggest claim for most IBKR investors with German stocks (Allianz, BASF, SAP, etc.).

Treaty rate: 15% (Art. 10 Abs. 2 DBA Österreich–Deutschland, 26. August 2000) Germany withholds: 26.375% (25% KapSt + 5.5% Solidaritätszuschlag) Reclaimable: 11.375% per dividend

The form: Since July 2025, you file via the BZSt Online Portal (BOP) under §50c Abs. 3 EStG. The old §50d EStG form has been replaced.

Step 1 — Register at BZSt (non-resident path)

⚠️ Do not use your existing Elster certificate if your Elster account has a German address. BOP reads your account profile, not just the certificate — a German-address account shows German-resident forms only and won't give you the non-resident §50c form.

As an Austrian resident, you need a fresh BZSt non-resident account:

1. Email kapitalertragsteuer@bzst.bund.de with your request — include a copy of your passport
2. They send a BZSt-Nummer by post to your Austrian address (allow 2–4 weeks)
3. Register your account at: https://www.elster.de/bportal/wizard/seq/registrierung_bop-1/eingabe-bzstnummer (the "registrierung-auswahl" link in the official Merkblatt is outdated as of 2026)
4. An Aktivierungscode also arrives by post separately

Once both letters arrive, activate your account and log in.

Step 2 — File the claim

1. Log in to BOP
2. "Neues Formular starten" → page 3 → "Erstattung der deutschen Abzugsteuer auf Kapitalerträge nach §50c Abs. 3 / §44 Abs. 9..." (alternative path: BOP → Formulare & Leistungen → Alle Formulare → SteuerInternational → Kapitalertragsteuerentlastung)
3. File one application per tax year (e.g. one for 2024, one for 2025)
4. Upload per year:
5. IBKR Annual Tax Report (the PWC_DE document — download from IBKR Tax Documents)
6. Your ZS-AD (copy)

Step 3 — Treaty reference

In the form, cite: Art. 10 Abs. 2 DBA Österreich–Deutschland (26. Aug 2000)

What to expect

Processing times vary. BZSt pays back to a bank account you provide. No DKK complications — plain EUR transfer.

⚠️ BOP draft expiry: saved drafts are deleted at each BOP release. Upcoming release dates: 1.6.2026, 20.7.2026, 7.9.2026. Don't save a half-filled draft and leave it — submit promptly.

Denmark (SKAT — udbytterefusion.skat.dk)

Denmark's online refund system is fast to use but has one quirk: they only pay in DKK, and to a bank account registered in SKAT's system.

Treaty rate: 15% (DBA Österreich–Dänemark) Denmark withholds: 27% on dividends from Danish stocks Reclaimable: 12% per dividend

The form: Online at udbytterefusion.skat.dk — no account needed, just your CPR number or tax ID

Steps

1. Go to udbytterefusion.skat.dk and start a new refund application
2. Fill in: your Austrian address, AT tax ID, bank account for the refund
3. Upload your ZS-AD
4. Submit and note the reference number (format: P3-5QU-YG-YHC style)
5. In a second step using the reference number, SKAT may request further documentation — upload here

The DKK bank account problem

SKAT pays in DKK only, and wants a bank account that accepts DKK. This is harder than it sounds for Austrian residents:

• SAXO DK account: works if it's in your name — but if your account is under a different entity, no
• Wise: uses a GB IBAN for DKK — SKAT may accept but there are currency conversion fees
• Austrian bank IBAN: works, but your bank will convert DKK → EUR at a poor rate (often 1–2% fee)
• Best option: an Austrian IBAN is the least-bad choice if SAXO isn't available in your name — the €12 FX fee on a €100+ claim is worth it

What to expect

SKAT states processing time of up to 18 months. For small amounts (my claim: DKK 92.40 / ~€12.38), it's unlikely to be expedited. But it's submitted and on record.

France (SIPNR — Cerfa n°12816)

France requires two Cerfa forms: a background certificate (Cerfa 5000) and the actual refund claim (Cerfa 5001-SD).

Treaty rate: 15% (DBA Österreich–Frankreich) France withholds: 28% on dividends from French stocks (e.g. TotalEnergies, Sanofi) Reclaimable: 13% per dividend

Deadline: Reclaims must be filed within 2 years of the dividend payment date. Don't miss the rolling deadline.

What you need

1. Cerfa 5000 ("Attestation de résidence fiscale") — certificate of AT tax residency. Fill it in, take it to your Finanzamt to get it stamped. Note: the Cerfa 5000 doesn't have a "tax years" field — just your current address and AT Steuernummer. One stamped copy covers all years.
2. Cerfa 5001-SD — the actual refund claim form. One form per calendar year. Lists each dividend with payment date, gross amount, and WHT withheld.

KapFrei auto-generates a filled Cerfa 5001 Word document (wht_FR_cerfa5001_{years}.docx) from your pipeline data. Review the payment dates against your IBKR Annual Activity Statement before printing.

How to file

Print both forms, sign, and post to:

SIPNR
10 rue du Centre
TSA 10010
93465 Noisy-le-Grand Cedex
France

There is no online filing for non-residents.

What to expect

Processing takes 3–12 months. SIPNR pays by bank transfer in EUR.

One more: IBKR cash interest and Irish DIRT

If you held significant EUR/USD/GBP cash at IBKR, Ireland may have deducted DIRT (Deposit Interest Retention Tax) at 33%. Austrian residents are exempt under the DBA — so that's 33% back.

DIRT is a separate process from dividend WHT reclaim and covered in its own guide. Short version: IC7 form, email to intclaims@revenue.ie, attach your ZS-AD and the IBKR R-185 DIRT certificate. The IBKR interest itself also flows into your Austrian E1kv (KZ 863) — KapFrei handles that automatically.

How KapFrei helps

Running python main.py --person yourname --year 2025 generates:

• wht_reclaim.txt — per-country breakdown with exact reclaimable amounts, treaty rates, and deadlines. Lists every qualifying dividend with date, gross amount, and WHT paid.
• wht_FR_cerfa5001_{years}.docx — Cerfa 5001-SD pre-filled with your name, AT address, Fas-Nr, and all French dividends. Print, sign, post.

What you still do manually: get the ZS-AD stamped by your Finanzamt, register at BZSt (one-time, for Germany), and actually post or email the forms.

TL;DR checklist

One-time setup: - [ ] Request ZS-AD from your AT Finanzamt (takes a few days, free) - [ ] Register at BZSt for Germany (2–4 weeks by post, one-time)

Per country, per year: - [ ] Germany — BOP → §50c Abs. 3 → upload PWC_DE + ZS-AD copy; one claim per tax year - [ ] Denmark — udbytterefusion.skat.dk → upload ZS-AD; note reference number - [ ] France — Cerfa 5000 (get stamped) + Cerfa 5001-SD → post to SIPNR; deadline: 2 years from dividend date - [ ] Ireland DIRT — separate process; see the IBKR interest reclaim guide

With KapFrei: - [ ] Run the tool — wht_reclaim.txt lists every country and amount - [ ] Use the auto-generated Cerfa 5001 docx for France — review dates, then print and post

KapFrei is a tax calculation tool, not a licensed tax advisor. Treaty rates and filing procedures can change — check current instructions with the relevant tax authority. Deadline for France (SIPNR) claims: 2 years from the dividend payment date.