German-American Estate Planning
We frequently advise clients from common law jurisdictions in all matters connected with international estate planning, including, but not limited to:
- Reviewing existing wills
- Designing and drafting both U.S. wills and German testaments
- Structuring U.S.-based trusts to avoid or minimize German estate, inheritance or gift tax liabilities
- Advising on the use of Payable on Death accounts and the appointment of successor beneficiaries to allow for the transfer of assets outside of probate
- Advising on U.S. federal estate tax and the German-American Double-Taxation Treaty controlling the states and double taxation
- Preparing living wills and health care proxies for both the U.S. and Germany
Upon request, we offer consultation via Zoom. For general information on how to join an instant meeting through an email invite, please visit the Zoom website.
News
- Germany: Amendment to the Rules on the Taxation of Lifetime Benefits from Foreign tax-priviledged Retirement Assets
- Tax Court of Münster: Distributions upon the Termination of a Trust may be Subject to German Income Tax
- BFH: The Treaty does not prevent Germany from imposing Inheritance Tax on the Acquisition of a U.S. citizen beneficiary resident of Germany even if he has stayed no longer than 10 years in Germany
- German Federal Fiscal Court Ruling on Gift Tax triggered by Distributions from a Foreign Trust
- German Federal Fiscal Court: Assets titled in Trust to which the Grantor has reserved comprehensive Powers are to be considered owned by him for German Inheritance and Gift Tax Purposes
- Decicison of the German Federal Fiscal Court on the Taxation of Distributions from a 401(k) to Beneficiary in Germany