BERLIN, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A panel of tax experts expects Germany's tax take to total 524.1 billion euros ($778.3 billion) in 2009, or 3 billion euros short of a forecast made in May, the Finance Ministry said on Thursday.

However, the panel raised its tax revenue estimate for 2010 to 511.5 billion euros from 510.4 billion predicted in May.

Germany's new Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, faces a difficult juggling act as he seeks to keep the public finances under control while delivering on tax relief pledges.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's new centre-right government is planning 21 billion euros in tax relief for 2010, made up partly of corporate and inheritance tax reforms, and 24 billion euros of income tax relief from 2011.

Schaeuble does not want to let net new borrowing for 2010 exceed existing plans for 86 billion euros, a ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

The European Union's executive launched disciplinary action last month against Germany and eight other countries for letting their budget deficits rise above the bloc's ceiling of 3 percent of gross domestic product.

Such moves are required under EU law when countries go over the limit, but the European Commission has said it will refrain from telling most of them to rein in their deficits until economic recovery takes root and member states agree on strategies to remove fiscal stimuli boosting their economies.

For a table with details of the estimates, please click on

(Reporting by Klaus Lauer and Paul Carrel; Editing by Ruth Pitchford) ($1=.6734 Euro) Keywords: GERMANY TAXES/FORECASTS

(brian.rohan@reuters.com ; +49 30 2888 5223; Reuters Messaging: brian.rohan.reuters.com@reuters.net )

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