M&A COVID-19 Wire - 28 May 2020

M&A COVID-19 Wire - Part 9

According to the "Act on the temporary crisis-related improvement of the regulations for short-time work compensation" ("Gesetz zur vorüberristeten krisenbedingten Verbesserung der Regelungen für das Kurzarbeitgeld")...

The current situation imposes many challenges on employers and employees alike. It also poses new questions on the co-operation process between employer and works council...

The impact of COVID-19 has already had a profound impact on all business sectors globally, including the construction industry.

After several weeks of quasi-lockdown in Germany and immense public pressure to lift limitations imposed by COVID-19, more and more companies are starting to resume their activities. For some, this means...

An occupational health and safety standard for employers dealing with the coronavirus pandemic has been published. This article analyses the main points it covers and employers' health and...

A vaccine against Sars-CoV-2 (the "Corona virus") will hopefully be available soon.

Can an employer make employees get a COVID-19 vaccination or dismiss an employee for refusing to do so? How can employers incentivise employees to get vaccinated?

If an employee on annual leave falls ill in Germany, days s/he cannot work substantiated by a doctor's certificate are not counted as leave.

What additional protection should employers put in place for pregnant employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and what occupational health and safety rules should they take into account? This guide gives details.

Congratulations! You plan to become managing director (Geschäftsführer) of a German limited liability company (a "GmbH").

M&A COVID-19 Wire - Part 9

Recently the AIFM Transformation Act which, inter alia, has replaced the German Investment Funds Act by the German Capital Investment Act .

The German Federal Government plans to revise the so-called attribution taxation applicable to German-resident founders/settlor and beneficiaries of foreign family foundations and trusts under Section 15 German Foreign Tax Act (Außensteuergesetz – AStG).

Since the implementation of the AIFM-Directive, the marketing of funds by third country managers to professional investors in Germany requires marketing approval.

The German Act on the Adaption of Investment Fund Taxation in Connection with the AIFM Directive (the "AIFM Tax Act") did not pass the legislative process prior to the Federal Election. Initially, it was envisaged that the AIFM Tax Act should enter into force on 22 July 2013.

On 21 July 2015, the German Federal Ministry of Finance released a discussion draft for a proposed German Investment Tax Reform Act.

On 11 May 2022, the German Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) published its long-awaited circular on "the German income tax treatment of cryptocurrencies and other token".

Existing funds which no longer invest after July 22, 2013 are not required to comply with the provisions of the KAGB, even if the manager of such funds also manages funds which still make investments.

Last fall, the Federal Fiscal Court (BFH) published three new rulings on the topic of business premises and extended trade tax deductions (BFH, July 24, 2025 – III R 23/23, DB 2025 p. 3016; BFH, September 25, 2025 – IV R 31/23, DB 2025 p. 3157; BFH, Sept. 25, 2025 – IV R 9/24). Although two rulings were in favor of the respective taxpayers, the issue of ancillary rental services in the context of the extended trade tax deduction remains a “hot topic” in trade tax assessment.