Real Estate Tax Compliance – Current Focal Points from Recent Tax Audits

The management of single real estate properties through to extensive real estate portfolios is certainly a challenging task, and one which becomes more complex when taxation guidelines are to be taken into consideration. In addition to other factors, the recent administrative decree of the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) concerning the differentiation between mere amendments of incorrect tax returns and a voluntary self-disclosure to the tax authorities of false or incomplete tax declarations in case of tax fraud, has seen tax compliance once again become the focus of all participants. Tax practice has shown that pitfalls are to be found in several places, and that the best tax-structure memo cannot provide any guarantee for a life without tax worries if circumstances change later or new circumstances arise, or the original legal or tax guidelines are not carried out properly.

The following report in the Financial Year Book 2018 aims to highlight key focal points from tax audits with which we have been entrusted, and therefore offer proposals for possible solutions at the same time; in this respect, we assume an inbound scenario in which real estate located in Germany is held by domestic or foreign property companies.

Complete report für download (PDF/176KB)

Parker Randall/ Real Estate Tax Compliance in Germany