In a recently published decision, the Supreme Tax Court commented on the repurchase of shares in a property-owning company where the previous acquisition was not subject to real estate transfer tax. Another case decided on the same date concerned the annulment of a chargeable transfer (concentration of 100% of the shares in the property-owning company) which later was reversed a second time restoring the initial level of shareholding.
A sale of five multi-family properties at the same time (“en bloc sale”) in the third year after acquisition is detrimental to the extended trade tax deduction as it violates the established three-property limit within a five-year period. This was decided by the Supreme Tax Court in a most recent judgment.
If a new church parish is established by merging several church parishes, real estate transfer tax is payable if the original parishes held shares in real estate-owning GmbHs and these GmbH shares are all in the hands of the newly established church parish after the merger. The Supreme Tax Court decided that this also applies if those GmbHs operate charitable institutions such as hospitals or retirement homes.
