McDonald’s Bid to Dismiss Tax Dispute Rejected by German Court

A McDonald’s franchisee failed to convince Germany’s supreme constitutional court that a municipal tax on disposable food packaging restricted its fundamental professional rights.

The Federal Constitutional Court said Wednesday in a press release announcing its Nov. 27, 2024, verdict that the tax didn’t impair an average business’s ability to make a reasonable profit.

The southwest German town of Tübingen imposed the tax in 2022 in an effort to reduce littering in public areas and encourage the use of reusable systems.

The tax is 0.50 euro ($0.52) for disposable beverage packaging, 0.50 euro for each disposable tableware item ...