Inheritance, bequest, donation
Wealth succession & tax law
Spouses and registered partners can inherit up to 500,000 euros tax-free. For children, it is 400,000 euros per parent. For great-grandchildren and parents who inherit from their children, the tax-free amount is 100,000 euros. All other heirs inherit only 20,000 euros tax-free.
Ten percent of all adults in Germany have inherited or received a major gift in the past 15 years. The average amount of these inheritances in real terms is just over 85,000 euros per person, and that of gifts 89,000 euros. These are the key findings of a study calculated by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) together with the University of Vechta and the German Center for Gerontology (DZA).
According to the study, inheritances increase wealth differences and thus exacerbate absolute inequality. "It is true that relative inequality decreases with inheritances. This is hardly surprising, because when a person dies, he or she often transfers his or her wealth to several heirs, which redistributes it among several people," explains study author Markus M. Grabka. "But at the same time, the gap in wealth between those who inherit and those who go away empty-handed is widening."
*Source study (DIW / STB Web)
Is your wealth succession already planned? How can inheritance or gift tax be minimized? What do you have to pay attention to when transferring companies? What about allowances and tax exemptions?
Transferring property through gifting or a will
We will advise you in inheritance cases or regarding the gifting of property to family members, help you with the succession planning for your family-owned business, and also explain to you the optimal tax procedure for your asset transfers. Thorough and timely planning ensures the most advantageous implementation of your personal wishes possible.
- Inheritance tax / gift tax as well as advice on private property transfers
- Comprehensive support for joint heirs
- Advice and help with succession planning alternatives, lifetime Transfers of assets, and with estate settlement in inheritance cases
- Advice on optimal tax Arrangements in asset succession
- Advice on the drawing up of documents for attestation by a notary public (e.g. marriage settlement, will, inheritance contract)
- Preparation of business evaluations and development of a succession concept
- Calculation and preparation of inheritance and gift tax returns and review of the respective tax assessments
- Formative and creative tax consulting
- Advice in the areas of capital gains tax, inheritance tax/gift tax and the transfer of private assets
- Comprehensive support for communities of heirs
- Examination of alternative forms of assessment/tax classes for spouses (joint or single assessment)
- Ongoing advice to charitable organizations on inheritance law issues of donors and charitable organizations on gifts, death benefits and estate administration
- Advice on inheritance tax/gift tax and transfer of private assets
- Comprehensive support for communities of heirs
- Design of succession arrangements and review of existing estate arrangements
- Tax advice on asset transfers during lifetime (e.g. gifts), on inheritance and on inheritance disputes
- Tax avoidance in the event of inheritance in the case of disclaimer, assertion of the compulsory portion, etc.
- Optimal tax structuring of the succession of assets
- Preparation of documents for the notary (e.g. marriage contract, will, inheritance contract)
- Business valuation and consulting in the context of business succession
- Tax and economic valuation of current assets - including real estate and business assets
- Preparation of inheritance and gift tax returns (including review of tax assessment notices) for tax improvement of the asset structure
- International inheritance cases (assets with foreign connection)
- Mediation and representation in conflicts with the tax office
- Establishment and supervision of foundations (means of structuring asset succession)
- Execution of wills and administration of estates
