Tax & Legal

In a recent judgment, the Supreme Tax Court decided that the transfer of GmbH shares as part of the principle of equalization of accrued gains between spouses (Zugewinnausgeich) generally constitutes a taxable sale. However, retroactive elimination of the respective capital gain is possible if the transfer is reversed due to an error on the subsequent tax consequences.

In a most recent decision, the Supreme Tax Court held that the shares transferred by way of security are attributable to the purchaser ( who is also the secured party) as of the date of transfer of ownership if the purchaser can legally and effectively exercise the material rights associated with the shares (in particular the sale and exercise of voting rights) and regardless whether the security event occurs.

The Supreme Tax Court decided that the contribution of all shares in an indirectly property-owning company by a corporation under Irish law to the plaintiff against consideration is subject to real estate transfer tax pursuant to Section 1 (3) Real Estate Transfer Tax Act. The exemption on intra-group restructures (conversions) under Section 6a Real Estate Transfer Tax Act was not available.

In a most recent decision, the Supreme Tax Court held that the termination of the right to usufruct is a non-taxable transaction if the holder of the right to usufruct over shares in a private limited company (GmbH) is not also the economic owner of the shares in the GmbH.

In a most recent decision, the Supreme Tax Court commented on the tax situation of an indirect unification of shares through intermediary partnership in 2012 with respect to the relevant holding for establishing its interest in the related real-estate holding company. The court further held that there is no protection of legitimate expectations with respect to the tax effects of a subsequent judgment of the Supreme Tax Court in 2017.

On 8 November 2017 the Supreme Tax Court published a decision made on 9 May 2017 on a case involving a gratuitous share transfer between friends, where the transferor had significant acquisition costs. The Court held that the presumption of a commercial transaction is not rebutted purely because a friendship exists between the contracting parties.

The Supreme Tax Court has held that real estate transfer tax falls due on the acquisition by a company of its own shares if only one other shareholder remains.

The Supreme Tax Court has held that the benefit from the grant of employee shares is to be based on the value of the shares on the date the transfer agreement became binding on both sides. It also held that there was no automatic presumption that a share transfer to the spouse of an employee was made in consideration for employee services rendered.

The Supreme Tax Court has asked the Constitutional Court for a ruling on the conformity with the constitution of the real estate transfer tax valuation provisions applicable to share transfers.

The Supreme Tax Court has held that a downstream, but not an upstream, merger leads to new assets for the surviving entity that can imperil its loss carry forward.