German Tax Advisory

Few areas of consulting are as complex and multifaceted as providing support in the context of corporate transactions.

Our interdisciplinary team of tax advisors, auditors and lawyers is at your side to advise you in Stuttgart, Munich and throughout Germany on planned corporate acquisitions and other transactions. Our goal is to identify significant risks in all areas at an early stage and to mitigate them – in particular through contractual arrangements.

Overview of our services in transaction consulting:

• Coordination of all parties involved in the process
• Carrying out tax, legal, financial and IT due diligence
• Tax-optimised transaction structuring
• Legal advice from the initial confidentiality agreement/LOI through to closing
• Valuation questions
• Support in financing matters

VAT rules are constantly changing. Taxation authorities are continually imposing stricter documentation and verification requirements, especially for transactions with an international dimension. For companies, the whole subject is increasingly confusing. Large backpayments as a result of tax audits are not uncommon. As an AGN member with a large international network, we can clarify matters with an international context for you quickly and pragmatically.

Avoid unnecessary VAT risks. Request our advice on the latest rules and regulations. We keep track of everything for you.

Overview of our services in VAT consulting:

• Preparation of fact sheets and checklists on matters such as invoicing requirements, documentation requirements for cross-border services, etc.
• Analysis and assessment of the VAT effects of business transactions
• Advice and support on compliance with VAT documentation and reporting requirements
• Provision of tailored employee seminars on VAT topics (e.g. for sales, procurement or accounting staff)
• Auditing of VAT-related internal business processes
• Conduct of tax reviews focusing on VAT
• Supervision of special audits relating to VAT
• Support in VAT-related appeals and lawsuits
• Support in cross-border VAT cases and coordination of VAT registrations in other EU member states

Many clubs, societies, charities and similar organisations in Germany take the form of an eingetragener Verein or registered association, of which there are over 600,000 across the country. Almost every second German citizen contributes to society through membership of such an association. As with sectoral federations (Verbände) and foundations (Stiftungen), associations are generally organised on a non-profit basis and give rise in practice to specific tax questions: What should be included in the articles of association? When is an association tax-exempt? How does an association differ from a foundation? What does a donation receipt have to contain? What has to be considered in terms of tax?

With our many years of experience in accounting and taxation matters as they relate to associations and foundations, we can provide you with optimum support in these and other issues. In addition to ongoing tax and accounting advice and support, we will also be happy to assist you with the auditing of foundations and associations and with all related legal questions.

In our comprehensive consulting activities, we pay particular attention to the strict legal requirements for ensuring tax exemption or tax relief. At the same time, we watch to ensure that the association or foundation adheres to the defining objectives set out in its articles.

For most businesses, the announcement of a tax audit is a source of worry – in some cases even more so since the introduction of digital tax audits. Areas that previously used to be only sampled are now subjected to comprehensive analysis using auditing software. Such an audit sets the bar far higher than used to be the case in analogue times.

We simulate digital tax audits for you in advance to identify potential risks, which we then discuss with you and help to eliminate. For the purpose, the experts at WirtschaftsTreuhand use the same Interactive Data Extraction and Analysis (IDEA) software as the tax authorities. In this way, we dispel any worries about an impending (digital) tax audit and provide you with a sound basis for assessing the expected results of the audit in advance, allowing you to take corrective action if necessary. You are thus ideally prepared for making future business decisions.