Germany agrees with stricter IHT rules
Germany's main political parties have reached an agreement on long-awaited inheritance tax reforms, with the proposed changes expected to be passed by Parliament by July. Amendments to Germany's inheritance tax law are required after the country's Constitutional Court ruled in 2014 that existing rules breach the principle of fiscal equality. Under Germany's 2009 inheritance tax law, heirs of assets from companies with more than twenty employees are exempt from inheritance tax provided that the business remains operational for at least ten years and that jobs are maintained. It is a system that many argue helps Germany to maintain high levels of employment and enables small and medium-sized businesses to use assets for growth rather than for paying potentially large inheritance tax bills. Inheritance tax rates in Germany can be as high as 43 percent, depending on the relationship between the deceased and the heir. However, others argue that these tax breaks are unfair as they benefit mainly wealthy individuals, while also helping to concentrate large amounts of wealth among a relatively small number of families. Under the changes agreed by the coalition parties, including the...