The German Ministry of Finance issued a letter dated 16 August 2018 confirming that Germany and the U.S. will spontaneously exchange CbC reports in respect of the 2016 reporting fiscal year as per the joint statement published by the U.S. IRS in July. Spontaneous exchange applies for fiscal years beginning on or after 1 January 2016 and before 1 January 2017. The letter notes that the spontaneous exchange will be replaced after the conclusion of an administrative agreement with the U.S. for automatic exchange.