Almost a million inheritance tax: too much for Stefan Rührgartner.
Not uncommon in Munich.
Most of the properties go to investors or speculators.
Munich / Haidhausen - The apartment building on Weißenburger Strasse (Haidhausen *) has belonged to the family of Stefan Rührgartner (49) for 133 years - now he has to sell the property. Rührgartner's great-great-great-uncle built the house in 1888, and after the Second World War his great-uncle rebuilt the bombed-out building. Rührgartner himself lived here for a long time, now he has inherited it. For him there are stories and emotions in this house in Haidhausen - which he now has to sell because he cannot pay the inheritance tax!
The value of the house was estimated at 6.5 million euros.
After deducting the tax exemption, the Munich resident has to pay around 945,000 euros in inheritance tax.
Money that Rührgartner doesn't have.
“Of course I could take out a loan, but I couldn't pay it back in my life,” he says.
And: “Inheritance tax has already been paid three times on the house, I pay sales tax for every maintenance, income tax on the rental income.
Almost a million inheritance tax is going too far. "
High inheritance taxes in Munich: real estate goes to investors and speculators
In addition: the building is located in the Haidhausen conservation area.
Rührgartner is therefore not allowed to divide up the property and sell individual apartments in order to pay the tax on the proceeds.
Otherwise he would do that - because he actually wants to keep the house and pass it on to his children.
The house community is also important to him: 14 parties have lived here, some for 40 years.
They know each other, there is a good climate.
“They are very sorry that I have to sell.
I'm not a rental shark who squeezes the tenants. "
People have no choice but to sell or take out a loan.
The tax is so high that hardly anyone has that much money in their account.
Philipp Pfab, lawyer specializing in inheritance law
Philipp Pfab, lawyer specializing in inheritance law, knows many cases like this.
“People have no choice but to sell or take out a loan.
The tax is so high that hardly anyone has that much money in their account. ”In the worst case, the person concerned could not pay off the loan as long as he was alive - the children would then have to take out loans again.
"You tie a block to your leg - and the income is eaten up," says the lawyer.
So it comes to the fact that more and more private individuals are forced to sell inherited apartment buildings - to investors and speculators.
That in turn drives rents up.
Munich: Property owners fear for their house - the "social drama" of the middle class
Dr. Thomas Fritz, lawyer specializing in inheritance law, calls the trend “a drama”. This is not about the rich, but about the middle class - people who do not inherit a real estate company, but simply a house. Fritz: "This concrete gold leads to a radical concentration of assets." A social drama, as the lawyer says. It means the impoverishment of the simple middle class that still exists.
Rudolf Stürzer from Haus und Grund Munich is also observing this trend. The number of property owners who seek advice from him because they are afraid of losing their house has increased dramatically in the last ten years: “Until 20 years ago, inheritance tax was not an issue Inquiries increased tremendously. ”Reason: the constantly rising real estate prices in Munich, on the basis of which the inheritance tax is also calculated. As a result, many increased rents so that their children could later pay inheritance tax with the income. Or they sell their property in full ...
Like Stefan Rührgartner.
For him, with this step, a chapter in his family's history will come to an end - after more than 100 years.
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