Foundations & Succession
Structures for wealth, shareholdings and cross-generational order.
Foundations and foundation-like vehicles are not labels. They must match assets, family governance, tax residence, control, beneficiaries, bankability and documentation. The review compares the structure type with the actual objective.
Structure topics
Foundation comparison
Comparison of German family foundations, German charitable foundations, Liechtenstein foundations and DIFC Foundations.
DubaiDIFC Foundation
Foundation-like structure in the DIFC context for participations, wealth and family governance.
GermanyCharitable Foundation Germany
Purpose, asset dedication, use of funds, governance and tax pre-assessment.
EuropeLiechtenstein Foundation
Wealth protection, succession, governance and international family structures.
GermanyFamily Foundation
Pre-assessment of German family foundations and their international tax connections.
Model diagramsFoundation Structures
Anonymised diagrams for family foundation, charitable foundation, GmbH & Co. KG, donations, loans, relocation and asset protection.
CyprusCyprus Trust / LBG
Assessment of Cyprus trust, LBG and foundation-related structures.
DocumentationGovernance
Control, beneficiaries, decision routes, reporting and bankability.
Questions that decide the structure
- Is the objective asset dedication, family governance, succession, charitable purpose, asset protection or ownership stability?
- Who should control, who should benefit and who should not have access to the assets?
- Which tax consequences arise on endowment, transfers, income, distributions, relocation or later amendments?
- Can the structure be explained consistently to banks, tax advisers, family members and authorities?
- Which local legal review is mandatory in the relevant jurisdiction?
Documentation and bankability
- Foundation charter, by-laws, regulations and governance documents must match the economic explanation.
- Beneficial ownership, control rights, protectors, council members and beneficiaries must be described consistently.
- Source-of-wealth and source-of-funds evidence should be prepared before bank onboarding or asset transfers.
- Funds flow, loan arrangements, donations, distributions and reserves should be documented separately.
Outcome of the review
- Comparison of suitable foundation or foundation-like structures.
- Pre-assessment of tax, governance, banking and documentation topics.
- Document list for formation, endowment, bank contact and ongoing administration.
- Recommendation on matters that require local admitted professionals before implementation.