GIZ is a joint stock company with the legal form of a limited liability company; it is recognised as a public-benefit organisation on the basis of its corporate purpose. We do not aim to earn the greatest possible financial profit, but instead focus on promoting the common good within the scope of our corporate purpose.
We generate most of our turnover (95 per cent in 2017) from the German Government and other German public sector clients. These commissions are exempt from corporate and commercial tax.
GIZ commissions from clients such as the European Commission, UN organisations and national governments are taxed in Germany in line with the rules on calculating profit for the purposes of income tax. However, even with these commissions, generating profit is not our main goal. GIZ works to cover its costs and applies a small risk charge for these commissions too to cover entrepreneurial risks.
Surplus profits are channelled back into international cooperation projects within the scope of GIZ’s corporate purpose.