Gatherings without limit conclude in Saxony
The Sachsenwald, a forest area east of Hamburg, has been under the spotlight due to its unique administrative status and the potential benefits it offers to registered companies. The municipality-free forest district, located near Hamburg, is not part of any municipality and has allowed certain tax and corporate advantages due to the absence of municipal taxes or specific local levies.
Current Status:
The Sachsenwald remains a municipality-free area, which is uncommon in Germany. This unique status has allowed some corporations to legally reduce their tax burden by maintaining a registered presence in Sachsenwald.
Future Plans:
There has been discussion or proposals to incorporate Sachsenwald into a nearby municipality or to change its administrative status. The reason for incorporation would include standardizing administrative control, increasing transparency, and addressing the tax loopholes currently exploited by companies.
Investigative efforts by satirical journalist Jan Böhmermann and transparency platform Frag den Staat have highlighted how this status has led to questionable corporate registrations purely for tax reasons. The publicity has pressured local authorities and policymakers to reconsider the municipality-free status to prevent tax avoidance and improve governance.
According to Schleswig-Holstein law, the steward of the Sachsenwald is authorized to collect trade tax. Reports by Jan Böhmermann and Frag den Staat have brought attention to 21 companies that have registered letterboxes in the Sachsenwald, benefiting from low trade tax.
The Sachsenwald is owned by the von Bismarck family, a fact that recently drew attention from the state government due to a report by Jan Böhmermann on ZDF's "Magazine Royale." The report sparked discussion about the tax practices in the Sachsenwald.
It is important to note that the Sachsenwald is not subject to any municipal taxes, as it is in private ownership. The state government is currently scrutinizing the Sachsenwald's tax special case due to the report by Jan Böhmermann and Frag den Staat.
In a recent development, the forest district of Buchholz in the Segeberg district, located in Schleswig-Holstein, will be incorporated and dissolved as of the new year. This move could potentially set a precedent for the future of the Sachsenwald.
In conclusion, the municipality-free status of the Sachsenwald is currently under scrutiny, with incorporation and administrative reform being considered mainly to close tax loopholes exploited by companies registered there. The issue has gained significant attention due to investigative reporting and transparency requests made by Jan Böhmermann and Frag den Staat.
- Amidst discussions and proposals, the municipality-free status of the Sachsenwald, which has allowed certain corporations to legally reduce their tax burden, is under review to prevent tax avoidance and improve governance, as highlighted by investigative journalist Jan Böhmermann and transparency platform Frag den Staat.
- General news outlets have reported on the potential incorporation of the Sachsenwald or changes to its administrative status, with the aim of reducing tax loopholes and increasing transparency, as well as setting a precedent, following the recent incorporation of the forest district of Buchholz in Schleswig-Holstein.
