Inheritance tax: Why some entrepreneurs need extra taxation | EUROtoday

As of: January 15, 2026 10:58 a.m

While the Union and enterprise associations are warning towards a reform of the inheritance tax, some entrepreneurs are actually talking out – and demanding precisely the alternative.

The new 12 months has barely arrived when there may be bother once more within the black-red coalition. This time it is a couple of very emotionally charged subject: inheritance tax. The SPD presents a paper for reform, and the Union rejects it – kind of indignantly.

The most important argument from the CDU/CSU: The debate about an inheritance tax, particularly for inherited corporations, is resulting in uncertainty within the financial system in Germany. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann makes it clear: “We are in a recession, and this is poison for medium-sized businesses and craftsmen in Germany!” Chancellor Friedrich Merz additionally rejected the plans.

And actually, various enterprise associations and entrepreneurs are actually talking out, warning that an inheritance tax would make it nearly unattainable for corporations with a price of over 5 million euros to go on to the following era. But there are others too. Entrepreneurs who’re clearly in favor of higher company taxation. The ARD-Capital Studio spoke to them.

“Achievement doesn’t mean that someone gets something for free”

Sebastian Klein made a fortune with the app Blinkist. The entrepreneur donated round 90 p.c of his property. He firmly calls for that heirs must be taxed extra closely.

“I’m an entrepreneur, and I think that the current inheritance tax system is not performance-oriented at all, and it also annoys me to no end that the Union is complaining that greater taxation of heirs is anti-performance. For me, performance means that someone works a lot, builds something, takes risks,” he says. Performance doesn’t imply that somebody will get one thing totally free after which refuses to pay taxes. “If we say meritocracy, then we have to tax heirs to the maximum,” says Klein.

Taxes as “fuel for our democracy”

Daniel Heidrich, a medium-sized entrepreneur, sees it equally. “The argument from business representatives that you can no longer do business through an inheritance tax is complete nonsense. You wouldn’t be able to buy a single company in the world if this argument were correct. We buy companies and can also deal with taxation very well. The lobby group against an inheritance tax uses the same argument and says: It’s not possible for us to pay taxes on inherited companies. That makes no sense.”

Albrecht von Sonntag additionally belongs to the category of excessive web value in Germany. He earned his wealth with the comparability portal Idealo. For him, taxes are the “necessary fuel for our democracy.” The precept that notably robust shoulders should carry extra weight additionally applies to inheritance regulation. “In a fair society, performance determines life chances, not the amount of inheritance.”

SPD desires reform Inheritance tax

It goes with out saying that “significantly higher taxes have to be paid” on notably massive inheritances. The entrepreneur believes that the potential for deferring taxes supplied for within the SPD draft, i.e. paying them off to the state with a delay over a number of years, is true. He believes it’s “overdue to switch from radical tax relief to fair deferral for family businesses,” mentioned von Sonntag.

It is necessary that curiosity can be charged on the deferred quantities in order that the inheritance tax due isn’t decrease resulting from inflation. Germany should “close the loopholes for mega-wealths” and make investments the revenue in schooling. This is “not ideological, but economically sensible.” A reform of the inheritance tax is “overdue”.

Rolf Schrömgens additionally made his massive fortune within the tech business and sees plans for a reformed inheritance tax positively. In 2005, Schrömgens based the lodge search engine Trivago with two fellow college students. The multimillionaire says massive fortunes will not be taxed pretty. It is critical to shut loopholes that make tax planning potential. He additionally likes the concept of ​​deferring inheritance tax. This would permit corporations to pay their tax legal responsibility from future income.

Overall, it’s essential to create a greater system. Schrömgens says in an interview with ARD capital studio: “I can decide today not to pay taxes. I shouldn’t have that freedom of choice.”