Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/126169 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Citation: 
[Journal:] DIW Economic Bulletin [ISSN:] 2192-7219 [Volume:] 6 [Issue:] 4/5 [Publisher:] Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW) [Place:] Berlin [Year:] 2016 [Pages:] 41-48
Publisher: 
Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW), Berlin
Abstract: 
Every year in Germany, an estimated 200 to 300 billion euros is gifted or inherited. Due to the extremely unequal distribution of wealth, these capital transfers are also highly concentrated. Approximately half of all transfers are less worth than 50,000 euros. Transfers of over 500,000 euros were received by one and a half percent of beneficiaries, accounting for one-third of the total transfer volume. The 0.08 percent of cases with transfers of over five million euros received 14 percent of the transfer volume and more than half of corporate transfers, which are currently largely exempt from inheritance tax. Abolishing tax concessions could considerably increase the tax base of inheritance tax in the longer term. This would make it possible to reduce tax rates to a level that avoids placing a greater burden on family businesses.
Subjects: 
distribution of household wealth
inheritance and gift flows
inheritanceand gift taxation
JEL: 
D31
E24
H24
Document Type: 
Article

Files in This Item:
File
Size
168.37 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.