News Archive - Mangold Steuerberater

21. February 2023/in News /by pixel-admin

Digital processes facilitate collaboration

Digital collaboration with the tax advisor has many advantages for clients. We at Mangold Steuerberater have been using digital solutions from DATEV extensively for several years and we have consistently adapted our way of working – with the success that, after 2022, we were again awarded the “Digital Law Firm” label by DATEV this year.

DATEV awards the “Digital Law Firm” label exclusively to law firms that are characterized by consistent digital collaboration with their clients. In order for a law firm to qualify for the label, the degree of digitalization in the areas of accounting, taxes and payroll is reviewed on the basis of clearly defined criteria. Because the digital world is moving faster and faster, the criteria change year after year and a law firm has to go through this review process again and again to prove that it is up to date with digital processes. This year, for example, the digitization rate of bookings was increased by 5 percentage points to 75%. As a new requirement, a 5% share of clients with digital employee evaluations was demanded for the first time. We at mangold.tax were able to meet the increased requirements – we use digitalization and adapted processes throughout and develop them further for our clients.

So if you too want to benefit from the many advantages of a digital law firm, Mangold Steuerberater is the right address for you.

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Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

12. February 2021/in News /by pixel-admin

The federal government has launched another aid program, Bridging Aid III, to support companies affected by the coronavirus pandemic until the end of June 2021. Applications for Bridging Aid III can be submitted online with immediate effect. The involvement of a tax advisor is mandatory for Bridging Aid III. Payment has been announced for March, until then advance payments will be possible.

A tax advisor can register these clients for Bridging Aid III

A company is eligible to apply if it has experienced a drop in turnover of at least 30 percent in one month compared to the respective reference month of the previous year. The funding period runs from November 2020 to June 2021.

What costs can be covered by bridging assistance III?

As tax advisors for Bridging Aid III, we will be happy to inform you in detail about which costs are covered by the aid. In principle, bridging assistance III is a fixed-cost assistance, i.e. the following fixed costs are reimbursed on a pro rata basis:

Leases, property taxes, insurance, subscriptions and other fixed expenses
Rental costs for vehicles and machinery,
Interest expenses and the financing cost portion of lease installments
Expenses for electricity, water, heating and so on.

Personnel expenses that are not covered by short-time working allowances are subsidized at a flat rate of 20 percent of fixed costs.

Amount of the grants

The amount of funding depends on the drop in turnover:

up to 40 percent of eligible fixed costs are reimbursed in the event of a drop in sales of 30 to 50 percent,
up to 60 percent of eligible fixed costs are reimbursed in the event of a drop in sales of 50 to 70 percent, and
in the event of a drop in sales of more than 70 percent, up to 90 percent of eligible fixed costs are paid.

Restart aid for solo self-employed

Solo self-employed persons receive staggered restart aid of up to 25% of the 2019 annual turnover. As a tax consultant for Bridging Assistance III, we will be happy to determine the amount of your individual restart assistance for you.

Advice for clients and external applicants for Bridging Aid III

For our clients, we automatically check the complex eligibility requirements on the basis of the current bookkeeping, provided this is prepared in our office. For external applicants, we can check on an individual basis whether it is possible for us to submit an application. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us! Incidentally, if you use a tax advisor for Bridging Assistance III, the costs will be reimbursed to you on a pro rata basis as part of the assistance.

Further details on bridging assistance can be found here:

https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2021/02/20210210-antragstellung-fuer-ueberbrueckungshilfe-lll-ist-gestartet.html

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Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

6. November 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

Extraordinary economic aid November

The so-called “lockdown light” came into force on 02.11.2020 and is initially limited until 30.11.2020. Those affected by this restricted lockdown are entrepreneurs who were already hardest hit during the first lockdown and had to invest the most in hygiene measures afterwards.

We therefore welcome the fact that the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Finance Office have announced extraordinary economic aid for the hopefully limited lockdown in a joint press release:
https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Pressemitteilungen/2020/11/20201105-ausserordentliche-wirtschaftshilfe-november-details-der-hilfe-stehen.html

SMEs that are either directly affected by the closure or indirectly generate more than 80% of their turnover with companies directly affected by the closure can apply for economic aid.

With the so-called emergency aid, 75 percent of the average weekly turnover in November 2019 is paid as a subsidy. It may also be possible to use a different comparison period. Other state aid is taken into account.

In contrast to the previous aid, start-ups that generated sales in October 2020 can also benefit from the emergency aid.

Like bridging assistance, applications for extraordinary economic assistance in November can only be submitted via a tax consultant, auditor, sworn accountant or lawyer.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Haben Sie Fragen oder Interesse an unseren Leistungen?

Sprechen Sie uns an. Wir beraten Sie gerne.

Ihr Ansprechpartner

Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

6. November 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

Bridging aid II for the months of September to December 2020

The coronavirus crisis will continue to affect us for a long time to come. In particular, industries that depend on people coming together are experiencing a significant drop in sales. For small and medium-sized companies, the self-employed and non-profit organizations that have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own, the bridging assistance scheme provides support to mitigate the decline in turnover.

The application phase has started for the funding months of September to December 2020, with the application deadline ending on December 31, 2020. As in the first phase, applications must be submitted via a tax consultant, auditor, sworn accountant or lawyer.

Contractually justified or officially determined fixed operating costs are eligible under Bridging Assistance II. Fixed costs are e.g.

Rents and leases
Further rental costs
Interest expenses for operating loans and borrowings
Financing cost portions of leasing installments
Expenses for necessary maintenance, servicing or storage of fixed assets and rented and leased assets, including IT
Expenses for electricity, water, heating, cleaning and hygiene measures
Property taxes
Operating license fees
Insurance and subscriptions and other fixed expenses
Personnel expenses and costs for trainees

The amount of funding is determined on the basis of the expected drop in sales in the funding months of September, October, November and December compared to the same period in the previous year. The bridging assistance II reimburses a share amounting to:

90 percent of eligible fixed costs in the event of a slump in sales > 70 percent
60 percent of eligible fixed costs in the event of a slump in sales ≥ 50 percent and ≤ 70 percent
40 percent of eligible fixed costs in the event of a slump in sales ≥ 30 percent and < 50 percent

Further details on bridging assistance can be found here:
https://www.ueberbrueckungshilfe-unternehmen.de/UBH/Navigation/DE/Home/home.html

Haben Sie Fragen oder Interesse an unseren Leistungen?

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Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

29. June 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

Bridging aid for small and medium-sized enterprises

On Friday, 12.06.2020, the Federal Government published the key points for the federal program
“Bridging aid for small and medium-sized companies that have to cease all or a significant part of their business operations as a result of the coronavirus crisis”. The regulations have not yet come into force, so no applications can be submitted at present. However, as the program is limited, it is advisable to take action now and make the necessary preparations. As things stand at present, the involvement of a tax advisor is mandatory.

We will be happy to support you in applying for bridging assistance.

Necessary requirements

It is necessary for there to be a slump in sales in the months of April to August 2020. This must be at least 60% in the months of April and May 2020 and at least 40% in the months of June to August 2020. The comparative value is the previous year

Recommended measures

The accounting for the months of April and May should be completed immediately. Please also check whether all receipts for the period from April 2019 are available. If you are already a client of ours, then your case handler will be happy to assist you.
A sales estimate is to be prepared for the period from June to July 2020. You should address the issue at an early stage and develop a realistic sales estimate for the period. The expected realization of sales must be recorded separately for the months of June, July and August 2020.

Eligible fixed costs

Fixed costs for which you concluded contracts before March 1, 2020 are eligible. Check whether all booking and contract documents for these fixed costs are available.
Eligible fixed costs are above all:

Rents and leases
Interest expenses for credits and loans
Financing cost portion of leasing installments
Expenses for necessary maintenance
Maintenance or storage of fixed assets and leased assets, including IT
Expenses for electricity, water, heating, cleaning and hygiene measures
Operating license fees
Insurance, subscriptions and other fixed expenses
Commissions that travel agency owners have paid back to tour operators due to corona-related cancellations are also eligible for funding

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Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

27. March 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

The state of NRW activated the electronic application procedure for NRW emergency aid on Friday, 27.03.2020:

https://soforthilfe-corona.nrw.de/lip/form/display.do?%24context=46BE62F65C8B1D1EFEF6

Eligible recipients of emergency aid NRW

The emergency aid is intended to help commercial and non-profit companies, solo self-employed and freelancers to survive the current crisis. Funding is available for entrepreneurs whose main occupation is their main occupation, who have up to fifty employees and

are economically and thus permanently active on the market as companies/freelancers/self-employed persons,
have their headquarters in North Rhine-Westphalia and
have already offered their goods or services on the market before December 1, 2019.

Eligibility requirements for NRW emergency aid

The prerequisite for funding is a significant funding bottleneck and economic difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic. Economic difficulties in the aforementioned sense are assumed if:

more than half of the orders from before March 1 have been lost due to the corona crisis or
there is a drop in turnover or fees of at least 50 percent for the month in which the application is submitted compared to the average monthly turnover (based on the current month and the two previous months) in the previous year. Calculation example: Average turnover January to March 2019: EUR 10,000, current turnover March 2020: EUR 5,000. If the reference month cannot be used (in the case of start-ups), the comparison with the previous month applies.
or sales were massively restricted by an official requirement in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic
or the available funds are not sufficient to pay the company’s current liabilities (e.g. rent, loans for business premises, leasing installments) (= financing bottleneck).

An important prerequisite is that the company must not have been in economic difficulties before the coronavirus crisis and the financing bottleneck must not have existed before March 1, 2020.

Details can be found on the website of the state of NRW: https://www.wirtschaft.nrw/nrw-soforthilfe-2020

NRW emergency aid for companies, the self-employed and freelancers – apply now

The application will have to be submitted completely electronically. If you need help, we will be happy to assist you. Of course, we also help with applications for emergency aid in other federal states.

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Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

19. March 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has taken far-reaching measures (the so-called protective shield for employees and companies) to protect against the economic impact of the coronavirus. In particular, it is about securing liquidity, preserving jobs and protecting many entrepreneurs and companies from the threat of a wave of insolvency applications.

Protective shield for employees and companies

The Federal Government’s protective shield for employees and companies includes the following measures in particular:

The short-time working allowance is becoming more flexible. In future, companies will be able to obtain it under simplified conditions. You can find more detailed information in our article “New regulation of short-time working allowance”.
The liquidity of companies is improved by tax measures. To this end, the deferral of tax payments is facilitated and advance payments can be reduced more easily. Enforcements and late payment penalties are waived in connection with the effects of the coronavirus. You can find more details in our article “Tax policy measures to overcome the crisis”.
The liquidity of companies is protected by new, unlimited measures. To this end, the existing programs for liquidity assistance are being expanded and made available to more companies, such as the KfW and ERP loans. You can find information on this topic in our article “Documents for taking out a loan”.
The German government is also advocating coordinated and decisive action at European level and welcomes, among other things, the European Commission’s idea for a “Corona Response Initiative” with a volume of 25 billion euros.

You can find the entire communication from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy at the following link: https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/DE/Dossier/coronavirus.html

The individual funding instruments are discussed in detail. Depending on the size of your company and/or federal state, you will find the appropriate funding offer there.

The following NRW-Bank funding programs apply to NRW

NRW.BANK.Universalkredit (for start-ups and SMEs regardless of the age of the company):

https://www.nrwbank.de/de/foerderlotse-produkte/NRWBANKUniversalkredit/15260/nrwbankproduktdetail.html

NRW.BANK.start-up loan (for SMEs up to five years after start-up):

https://www.nrwbank.de/de/foerderlotse-produkte/NRWBANKGruendungskredit/15195/nrwbankproduktdetail.html

NRW.BANK.Mittelstandskredit (for SMEs from five years after foundation):

https://www.nrwbank.de/de/foerderlotse-produkte/NRWBANKMittelstandskredit/15207/nrwbankproduktdetail.html

Support from our law firm

Due to the special situation, the conditions for the allocation of subsidies are currently being relaxed. As tax advisors, we assist our clients in checking these requirements and support them in the application process. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need support.

Update 22.03.2020

The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection introduces a bill that suspends the obligation to file for insolvency until September 30, 2020. If you are threatened with insolvency and have an obligation to file for insolvency, we recommend that you contact your lawyer immediately.

Further information can be found here:

https://www.bmjv.de/DE/Themen/FokusThemen/Corona/Insolvenzantrag/Corona_Insolvenzantrag_node.html;jsessionid=6537A02D333A48B55546084313B7BB2C.1_cid297

Update 24.03.2020

The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection has created a legislative package that prohibits landlords from evicting tenants who fall into arrears due to the crisis. The protection against dismissal for tenants initially applies until June 30, 2020.

There is also a statutory deferral of payment for certain ongoing obligations, such as those for electricity and telecommunications services.

Consumers receive a payment deferral of at least three months for loan agreements.

The press release of the Federal Ministry can be found here:

https://www.bmjv.de/DE/Themen/FokusThemen/Corona/Miete/Corona_Miete_node.html

Update 25.03.2020

The electronic application procedure for emergency aid was announced for Friday 27.03.2020, at least for NRW:

https://www.wirtschaft.nrw/nrw-soforthilfe-2020

Update 26.03.2020

The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds has announced that it is possible to defer social insurance contributions:

https://www.gkv-spitzenverband.de/gkv_spitzenverband/presse/pressemitteilungen_und_statements/pressemitteilung_1003392.jsp

The deferral of contributions should only be granted once entrepreneurs have exhausted all other forms of assistance.

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Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

19. March 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

The political decision-makers in Germany are holding out the prospect of aid packages worth billions. Easier access to credit and a new regulation of short-time working benefits are intended to preserve companies and jobs. Genuine tax policy measures, such as tax cuts or a new regulation for dealing with loss carrybacks, are a long time coming and are unlikely to be implemented any time soon.

Tax measures are stillpossible

Nevertheless, it is possible for taxpayers to take measures that at least strengthen their immediate liquidity. The Federal Ministry of Finance has announced that

deferrals can be granted under simplified conditions,
companies directly affected by the coronavirus will not have to fear any late payment penalties or enforcement measures until the end of the year,
the requirements for the adjustment of tax prepayments are lowered.

The communication from the Federal Ministry of Finance can be found here:

https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/Standardartikel/Themen/Oeffentliche_Finanzen/2020-03-13-Schutzschild-Beschaeftigte-Unternehmen.html

Further measures are possible according to the tax authorities. For example, the deadlines for submitting tax returns could be extended.

Deferrals for sales or wage tax are not currently planned.

What can be done sensibly at the moment?

Affected companies or private individuals should apply for a reduction in advance payments and, if necessary, deferrals. Of course, this does not reduce the tax burden and, as things stand at present, taxes must be paid at the latest after the declaration has been submitted, but you will receive the liquidity that will probably soon be urgently needed.

If you need help with the relevant applications, please contact us.

Update 20.03.2020

In the description of its package of measures, the NRW state government announced that it would reimburse special advance payments for VAT ahead of schedule. Entrepreneurs affected should make use of this if necessary. In other federal states, too, it is advisable to coordinate this option with the tax authorities.

A refund form has also been published, which shows that deferrals should now also be possible for VAT. If you have any questions, please also use our contact form below, the telephone lines are currently overloaded.

Update 23.03.2020

The Free State of Bavaria has now also announced that it will reimburse the special advance payment for VAT.

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Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

19. March 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

The new regulations for the short-time working allowance have not yet been adopted, so that it is not yet possible to be completely certain that the conditions for granting the allowance as communicated by the political decision-makers will actually be met. It can be assumed that the final legal basis will be in place by the beginning of April, as it will be enacted in a fast-track procedure. Please therefore note that the following information is correct subject to the corresponding implementation.

What will change?

The following measures are expected to be implemented:

If orders fail to materialize due to difficult economic developments, a company can apply for short-time working if at least 10 percent of employees could be affected by the loss of work. This threshold is currently 30 percent of the workforce
It should be possible to completely or partially waive the build-up of negative working time balances before payment of the short-time working allowance. The applicable law requires that in companies where agreements on fluctuations in working hours are used, these are also used to avoid short-time working and to be driven into the red.
Temporary workers will also be able to receive short-time working benefits in future.
The social security contributions that employers normally have to pay for their employees are to be reimbursed in full by the Federal Employment Agency in future.

How should you proceed?

The following measures must be carried out in the specified order:

Notification of short-time work to the responsible Federal Employment Agency
Coordination of short-time work with the responsible employment agency
Application for short-time work at the responsible employment agency
Settlement of short-time work by your own HR department

The Federal Employment Agency expressly points out that the notification of short-time work must be made before the application is submitted so that the requirements for short-time work compensation can be checked. General information from the Federal Employment Agency can be found here:

https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/datei/merkblatt-8a-kurzarbeitergeld_ba015385.pdf

Submission of the notification for short-time work

The Federal Employment Agency has simplified the notification of short-time work. The following documents must be submitted for this advertisement:

Fully completed notification of short-time working allowance
List of the employees concerned
A justification as to why KUG is being applied for, which should not be too brief and should set out the reasons in detail.
Statement of working time accounts

The Federal Employment Agency asks you to send the advertisements by e-mail. Once a complaint has been received, the responsible department will contact the complainant.

What measures should be taken after the report?

Registration at https://jobboerse.arbeitsagentur.de/ for an employer account. Further processing of applications for short-time working allowance will be carried out electronically if necessary. The notification can also be submitted electronically.
Preparation of the agreement on short-time working with the employees, including the necessary clarification of the loss of earnings.

If you have any questions or require assistance with applications for short-time working allowance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Haben Sie Fragen oder Interesse an unseren Leistungen?

Sprechen Sie uns an. Wir beraten Sie gerne.

Ihr Ansprechpartner

Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax

19. March 2020/in News /by pixel-admin

Consequences of the current economic situation

The coronavirus has the economy firmly in its grip. Many entrepreneurs will need help to overcome the crisis that threatens their existence. Politicians are promising help, but it is currently unclear how this financial aid will actually be granted. Easier access to credit is expected to be created. It is therefore advisable to contact your bank promptly and discuss the possibility of liquidity subsidies in good time. We receive numerous requests for assistance with this process; in particular, we are asked for advice on the necessary documents and information. We naturally provide our clients with the best possible support in preparing the documents; in particular, you should compile the following documents promptly:

Documents for taking out a loan

Last available annual financial statements / income statement, if possible certified by the tax consultant, but in any case signed by the entrepreneur
Economic evaluation of the previous year if the annual financial statements for the previous year are not already available
A current business analysis of the BWA should be accompanied by a development statement and a comparison with the previous year
Lists of totals and balances for the current year and the previous year, a list of accounts payable and accounts receivable should be enclosed
Creditworthiness documents from credit agencies, Creditreform, Schufa etc.
Statement of assets, the complete statement should include all assets and liabilities
Calculation of debt service including statement of liabilities
Liquidity and profitability plan for the current year and the previous year, including a reliable statement by the entrepreneur on the figures

Preparation of the bank meeting

Numerous other questions will await you in discussions with the bank. Even the assurance of political decision-makers to grant aid will not lead to banks granting loans indiscriminately. Of particular interest will be how you and your company will deal with the crisis. If you need help, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Haben Sie Fragen oder Interesse an unseren Leistungen?

Sprechen Sie uns an. Wir beraten Sie gerne.

Ihr Ansprechpartner

Christian Mangold

Steuerberater

T +49(0)202 2978965 0
F +49(0)202 2978965 9

office@mangold.tax