Editorial

Dear Readers,

We kick off this June edition with an important update for companies that operate cash registers and now have to comply with a reporting period by the end of July. The subject of a recent ruling was not as short-term, but nevertheless complex; it related to the issue of when commercial undertakings should be allowed to claim a deduction for rental and leasing income for the purposes of calculating trade tax. In our third report in the Tax section, we provide practical tips for you on structuring in cases where the aim is to let out housing at a discount to employees or relatives in order to enhance employer attractiveness or the esteem as a family member. 

The Accounting & Finance section is entirely dedicated to sustainability. First of all, we discuss the new IFRS rules concerning accounting for power purchase agreements. Since electricity is more perishable than strawberries, for companies that purchase electricity from renewable energy sources it is important that the electricity is resold and, in the case of a closed position, that hedge accounting can be applied. Next up is then the Key Issue report in this edition. In May, in Part I of our series, we outlined the individual process steps involved in preparing a sustainability report; in this edition we present specific AI tools that are able to provide support in these process steps. 

In our Legal section the reports deal with the topic of wills. A so-called emergency will can also be communicated verbally - although only under certain circumstances; we discuss what you need to do if the worst comes to the worst. In our second report, which concerns the ‘Berlin Will’, the focus is on the so-called compulsory portion penalty clause that acts as a sanction on compulsory portion claims asserted after the death of the first parent. A distinction must be made here as to the extent to which a request for financial support (when building a house) can be considered to be a compulsory portion claim. 

In two short reports we address, once again, the topics of sustainability and death. There you can read answers to the follow questions, namely, are you allowed to install solar units on historic listed buildings and are the heirs to social media channels of the deceased allowed to continue using these?  

We wish you an interesting read. 
Your PKF Team