The relief granted for large corporate assets under Germany’s inheritance‑ and gift‑tax rules largely benefits minors. This is what the Federal Ministry of Finance answered in response to a written question submitted by the Left parliamentary group, a matter reported by “Der Spiegel”.
In 2024, assets that received the tax advantage were transferred for a total of about €11.1 billion. Of that amount, €4.7 billion went to recipients aged 17 or younger-representing 43 % of the total. The average effective tax rate on those transfers was only 4.7 %. When the beneficiaries were foundations, the rate dropped to a mere 0.1 %.
Christian Görke, a Left politician and former minister of finance in Brandenburg, said that the inquiry “again shows how unfair the current inheritance tax is”. He also criticized the ministry for leaving many questions about tax‑saving schemes and their evaluation largely unanswered. Görke added that the SPD has recently been calling publicly for a fairer inheritance tax, but that the finance minister-and the SPD party chairman-appear not to back his party’s position.
