GERMAN INHERITANCE TAX RETURN FORM ("ERBSCHAFTSTEUERERKLÄRUNG") AND ANNUAL GERMAN ESTATE INCOME TAX RETURN FORM ("FESTSTELLUNGSERKLÄRUNG")
by Dr. Peter K.-D. Barandt, Attorney at Law (New York), Attorney at Law (Rechtsanwalt) (Frankfurt), Bar-Approved Specialist in Tax Law (Frankfurt), M.B.A. (U. of Cologne), LL.M. (SMU, Dallas, Texas)
Dr. Peter K.-D. Barandt
Rechtsanwalt (Frankfurt)
Attorney at Law (New York)
An den Pappeln 14
60388 Frankfurt / Germany
Phone (from U.S.)
011 49 6109 33081
Fax (from U.S.)
011 49 6109 31552
BarandtLaw@Barandt.com
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The filing obligation will be irrespective of the citizenships of the Decedent and/or the Beneficiaries.
Due to the fact that under Federal German Tax Law (“Steuerrecht”) an Estate is not a separate legal entity but rather deemed to be a mere flow-through or conduit, an annual German Estate Income Tax Return (“Feststellungserklärung“) will only have to be filed in the event of the existence of two or more Beneficiaries (“Begünstigte“).
There is no State Inheritance Tax and no State Income Tax in Germany.
For a model of the four page Federal German Inheritance Tax Return (“Erbschaftsteuerklärung“) form and its pertinent two page Schedule (“Anlage Erwerber zur Erbschaftsteuererklärung”), please click here.
For a model of the two page annual Federal German Estate Income Tax Return (“Feststellungserklärung“) form, the German equivalent of IRS form 1041, and its pertinent two page Schedule (“Angaben über die Feststellungsbeteiligten”), please click here.