There is hardly another topic which is monitored in tax audits as closely as the entitlement to input tax deduction for holding companies. The following article illustrates what has to be taken into account and shows which possibilities in terms of structure may potentially arise for the companies concerned.
If a limited liability company is transformed into a company constituted under Civil Law, the question arises, whether it is required to enter the GbR and its shareholders into the commercial register. In practice, such entries have continuously been made, however, the Federal Court of Justice has now negated the necessity of entry. In the same case, it also had to decide on the liability consequences arising from a possibly incorrect entry that had been made.
Notwithstanding an earlier statement, the Federal Fiscal Court decided in three rulings that excessive payments of remuneration by a limited liability company to an affiliated person of a shareholder are to be recorded for income but not for gift tax purposes. Nevertheless, a double tax burden cannot be ruled out, since the BFH does not exclude a generous donation in the relationship between the shareholder and his affiliated person.
The Federal Court of Justice has ruled that when determining insolvency, the liabilities (Liabilities II) that fall due within the three-week period after the reporting date must also be taken into account. Furthermore, the decision specifies the considerable evidence and presentation requirements for managing directors of a limited liability company who is being claimed by the insolvency administrator because of the initiation of payments after insolvency maturity.
The Federal Court of Finance assed an interesting decision (file no. VIII R 13/15), regarding the decision of the BFH (file no. IX R 36/15) in Q4: Accordingly, the final default of a loan leads to a loss recognized for tax purposes which must be taken into account on income from capital assets. It can be assumed that this also applies to shareholder loans and a shareholder may even benefit from a higher tax recognition than with a consideration as subsequent acquisition costs.