Employing full pensioners is a good way for employers to fill staffing gaps in times of a shortage of skilled workers and general staff shortages. In particular, the use of full pensioners is relatively uncomplicated for employers: in many respects it is no different from the use of non-pensioners, and in some cases there are even advantages.
Read more
From July 1, 2023, the Act on the Unification of Foundation Law will come into force, bringing together, supplementing and clarifying many previously unclear, contradictory or incomplete points in foundation law. In addition to new, uniform federal regulations, the reform also includes the introduction of a central foundation register. The changes are intended to provide greater legal certainty in matters of liability,
Read more
Often, a property must be sold in its entirety as part of a divorce, or one ex-spouse sells his or her co-ownership share to the other ex-spouse. The problem: if a property is sold as private assets within the so-called holding period, taxes may have to be paid on it because it may be a private sale transaction.
Read more
Everyone is talking about a shortage of skilled workers – but what can companies do to retain good employees in the long term? In addition to a good working atmosphere, performance-related pay is of course a very important factor. However, more than half of every euro of a salary increase often goes to taxes and social security contributions.
Read more
At the end of 2022, the German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht – BAG) issued a landmark ruling stating that recording working hours is no longer a “can” but a “must”. Employers must – even now! – record the working hours of their employees. For new-work models based on trust-based working time,
Read more
The use of renewable energies is becoming increasingly important. To promote the expansion of photovoltaic systems, the legislature has now introduced extensive changes for operators of photovoltaic systems as part of the Annual Tax Act 2022.
Numerous bureaucratic hurdles will be removed. The new regulations will make the operation of photovoltaic systems more attractive and simpler from a tax perspective.
Read more
With the decision of the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, BFH) of February 28, 2023, the highest German fiscal court has now for the first time taken a position on income tax issues relating to crypto assets – Bitcoins and Co.
In it, the previously issued fiscal court decisions are followed and also essential excerpts of the BMF letter of May 10,
Read more
Under certain conditions, parents in Germany are entitled to child benefit. As of January 1, 2023, the entitlement to child benefit is a uniform 250 euros per month and child and is paid out to parents by the family benefits office. So far, so good.
But if the family benefits office pays out child benefits even though parents are not (or no longer) entitled to them,
Read more
Real estate valuation in the event of a gift or inheritance has always been a bone of contention. Now, the legislator has reformed the Valuation Act – and with significant effects on the calculation of inheritance tax and gift tax in connection with real estate. This is because the value of real estate has been determined on the basis of the market value for the calculation of gift and inheritance tax since the changes to the law on 01.01.2009.
Read more
Further update 31/01/2023: In Bavaria, the deadline for submitting property tax returns is extended to the end of April.
In the Free State of Bavaria, property and land owners now have a further three months to submit their property tax returns. This was decided at short notice in the cabinet on 31.1.2023.
Read more
Whether and when vacation becomes time-barred is a question that can of course also be of burning interest to employers: After all, whether their own employees are still entitled to vacation or not can become relevant above all if an employee leaves the company and in this context asserts claims for vacation compensation.
Read more
In the first months of the Corona crisis, the government granted emergency aid to smaller companies and solo self-employed persons who found themselves in an existential emergency. Eligibility to apply for Corona emergency aid was conditional on the existence of a short-term liquidity shortage. According to the approval notice, all recipients of emergency aid are obliged to check whether the predicted liquidity bottleneck has actually occurred.
Read more
The inflation compensation premium is currently the talk of the town. After all, it gives employees hope that they will receive a payment of up to 3,000 euros from their employer to compensate for the current rapid inflation – tax-free and free of social security contributions.
What is correct is that employers have the option of paying employees an inflation compensation bonus.
Read more
In connection with the property tax reform, many property owners receive the property tax assessment notices from the tax office.
In Bavaria, in addition to the “notice of the property tax assessment amount”, a “notice of the property tax equivalent amounts” is also issued.
Read more
From 01 October 2022, the statutory minimum wage will increase to EUR 12 per hour. At the same time, the remuneration for mini-jobs will be increased from EUR 450 to EUR 520 per month.
In connection with the mini-job, there are a number of things to consider from an employment law perspective.
Read more
Since 2020, energetic renovation measures on the owner-occupied home have been eligible for tax incentives for ten years. Corresponding expenses can be deducted directly from the tax liability.
Our experts around the property give you tips and answers to 10 questions from the practice of tax incentives for energy refurbishment of your home,
Read more
Evidence Act: Employment contracts must be put to the test with regard to mandatory transparent working conditions
From 1 August 2022, the amended regulations of the Verification Act will apply. The background to this is the EU Directive 2019/1152 (Working Conditions Directive), which comes into force on 31 July 2019.
Read more
An inheritance – despite all the personal tragedy – is often a financial blessing for the heirs. Never before has so much wealth been inherited in Germany as at present. However, there is also the other case: the testator or the testatrix – e.g. one’s own parents or spouse –
Read more
Information about a GbR and the persons behind the GbR has not been as easy to obtain as, for example, in the case of a GmbH.
This will change on 01.01.2024 when the Act to Modernise the Law on Partnerships (MoPeG) introduces the company register for civil law companies.
Read more
Overtime and its compensation are often the cause of disputes between employees and employers. This is especially true when overtime is still “on the books” after a dismissal and ex-employees want to be paid for this overtime.
But who has to prove whether overtime was actually worked? So far,
Read more
Discussions between employers or supervisors and employees are often delicate. If conflicts are smouldering or have already erupted in the working relationship, they can become very verbal.
It is not uncommon for employees to reach for their smartphones and secretly record conversations with their employers or superiors that are supposed to be confidential.
Read more
GmbHs and UGs must correctly enter beneficial owners in the transparency register by June 30, 2022. Otherwise, those responsible will face heavy fines.
Read more about the transparency register and the registration deadline.
Read more
The new BMF letter “Einzelfragen zur ertragsteuerrechtlichen Behandlung von virtuellen Währungen und von sonstigen Token” has meanwhile also been published. Below you will find my brief and initial assessment of the letter of the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF).
Our expert Dr.
Read more
With an estimated 5,000,000 people in Germany investing in the crypto world, many will soon be asking the question, “How do I account for my crypto investments in my 2021 income tax return?” Some individuals will have to make sometimes substantial tax payments as a result of their crypto investments and will thus also be required to file an income tax return in due time.
Read more
n principle, craftsmen’s services on properties used for one’s own residential purposes are only taken into account for tax purposes to a very limited extent.
However, if one observes important prerequisites, plans the measures accordingly and provides the necessary evidence, renovation costs can certainly be deducted from tax.
Read more
Have you already notified the beneficial owners of your legal entity to the Transparency Register? Not yet? Then it is high time you did!
With the amendments to the Money Laundering Act (Transparency Register and Financial Information Act) that came into force on 1 August 2021,
Read more
The BFH (Case No. IX R 27/21), Germany’s highest tax court, was supposed to deal with this question; a decision was expected in February. This has now come to nothing. The appeal filed by the taxpayer has been withdrawn in the meantime.
With increasing crypto trading,
Read more
The Future Workshop is our digital workbench for new solutions!
On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the ACCONSIS Future Workshop (ZKW), we asked Stefan Herzer, member of the Executive Board and responsible for organization and digitization at ACCONSIS, for an interview.
We were particularly interested in how the idea of the Future Workshop came about,
Read more
2021 saw a whole range of significant changes in the tax area for businesses, employers and employees, home and land owners as well as capital investors and taxpayers.
At the end of the year, important innovations were also set in motion that will take effect in 2022, for example the extension of the Corona economic aid and the short-time working allowance.
Read more
Secure comprehensive advice and receive a 50 % subsidy.
Currently, most companies still have sufficient liquidity or solid liquidity cushions, but an uncertain time is again ahead. If the required minimum turnover is not achieved in the coming year, with or without bridging aid, it will therefore be financially difficult for many businesses to survive.
Read more
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of reports regarding measures to combat tax evasion in Germany. The German tax authorities are using a wide variety of tools for this purpose. Data CDs from third countries continue to be purchased, most recently tax data from Dubai. At the same time,
Read more
The municipality can only exercise the right of first refusal for a property in certain cases if it lies within the scope of a preservation order.
In a ruling dated 09.11.2021 – 4 C 1.20, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that a municipality’s right of first refusal for a plot of land located within the scope of an urban development ordinance does not exist if the plot of land is built on and used in accordance with the purposes of the urban development measures and the buildings erected on it do not have any defects.
Read more
Since 2009, our experts Agnes Fischl-Obermayer, lawyer, tax advisor and specialist in inheritance law, and Regine Funke-Lachotzki, auditor and tax advisor, have been organising the series münchner immobilien fokus together with Aigner Immobilien GmbH.
Every year in spring and autumn, the event takes place on the premises of the Literaturhaus in Munich to provide a networking platform for members of the industry.
Read more
“Do you have a wallet yet?” or “Has the transaction been entered into the blockchain?” Do you even understand what they’re saying? If you intend to dive into the digital world to do business, you really have no choice but to learn a new “foreign language”: the language of digital commerce.
Read more
ATTENTION: New standard land values as of 01.01.2022 – further increases to be expected
Due to the implementation of the real estate tax reform, the expert committees have recently been instructed to set new standard land values as of 01.01.2022, in deviation from the two-year cycle (31.12.2022).
Read more
As of August 01, 2021, the notification fiction for all legal entities and registered partnerships is no longer applicable! The Money Laundering Act (GwG) was reformed when the new Transparency Register and Financial Information Act (TraFinG Gw) came into force.
The previously applicable notification function has been abolished.
With immediate effect,
Read more
On July 1, 2021, the Act Amending the Real Estate Transfer Tax Act will come into force. This contains extensive new regulations for the acquisition of shares in real estate holding partnerships and corporations.
Read more
The last prominent data acquisition was some time ago. Many may still remember the acquisition of bank information from Switzerland. The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia was particularly prominent in this regard. The data purchase was and is highly controversial and even involved the Federal Constitutional Court. The acquired information has flushed billions into the state coffers.
Read more
Whether buying or building a new home: the real estate market is booming – despite or even because of Corona. The demand for financing modernization measures or the rescheduling of existing real estate is also steadily increasing. This makes it all the more important to implement the corresponding financing in a future-proof manner and optimally tailored to personal needs thanks to competent advice.
Read more
The Corona pandemic does have its positive sides: Thanks to it, digitization has progressed rapidly and has found its way into all areas of life. We now work mainly remotely, buy more online, and invest more in stocks. Moreover, it is still trendy to trade in cryptocurrency.
In this context,
Read more
Now the time has come. The final step on the part of Turkey has been taken. The agreement on the automatic exchange of information (AEOI), which Turkey ratified back in 2017, will now actually be implemented. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, personally ordered the execution of the relevant decision by decree on May 31,
Read more
The ACCONSIS Annual Report 2020 is available. Read the latest on our figures, data and facts. We also give you many exciting insights into our strategic developments of the business areas and our visions for the future.
Read more
The ACCONSIS family is growing! By merging with convocat – the law firm of Agnes Fischl-Obermayer, lawyer and tax consultant, and Regine Funke-Lachotzki, chartered accountant and tax consultant – ACCONSIS not only strengthens its team, but also significantly expands its expertise in tax, real estate and inheritance law.
Read more
INSIDER online event on March 24, 2021 on the topic.
Due to the greater response to the article “Airbnb – The tax office knows who you rented to last summer!” – we are once again expanding our comments to include the following points:
After we have so far dealt in particular with the issues surrounding the investigative measures of the German tax authorities and the resulting tax obligations or consequences under criminal tax law,
Read more
The Bayerische Rundfunk reports on the topic of “Airbnb” in its article “Airbnb landlords targeted by tax investigators” on B5 aktuell and the BR24 app. Dr. Christopher Arendt, specialist tax lawyer at ACCONSIS explains:
Today, the German tax office can access high-quality data on foreign accounts and systematically evaluate this data. The Federal Central Tax Office is currently evaluating 1.1 million messages from this data exchange.
We are currently experiencing the effects of implementing this data exchange.
After the first measures of data exchange on financial matters between European and non-European countries have already taken place in the past,
Read more
To the topic data exchange (with Turkey) the Bavarian broadcast reports on the topic “tax evasion: Turkey also reports soon account data” on B5 aktuell, as well as the BR24 App.
The contribution is based on an interview on the current situation with Dr. Christopher Arendt, specialist lawyer for tax law of ACCONSIS in Munich.
Read more
In the middle of this year, the Federal Ministry of Finance declared that the Automatic Exchange of Information (AIA) will be expanded to include new countries from autumn 2020. The focus will be on data exchange with Turkey.
We have therefore asked Dr. Christopher Arendt, attorney, tax law specialist and managing director of ACCONSIS in Munich,
Read more