030 555 721 370
anfrage@guhr-steuerberatung.de
Auerstr. 14, 10249 Berlin
Industry · Real Estate Investors
Tax advisory for real estate investors who want to build wealth.
We are the tax advisory for private and commercial real estate investors, buy-and-hold owners and capital investors. We build the right structure around your portfolio – an asset-holding GmbH, a holding company, a family pool – optimise depreciation and trade tax, and make sure every acquisition is thought through for tax. Nationwide, digital, and with a dedicated contact who knows your portfolio.
Nationwide · 100% digital- Specialised in real estate investors
- Dedicated contact person
Sound familiar?
Problems real estate investors know all too well.
We speak to buy-and-hold owners, capital investors and property entrepreneurs every day. This is what we hear again and again:
Your portfolio sits in the wrong structure.
Everything held privately – and fully exposed to your personal top tax rate. An asset-holding GmbH with the extended trade-tax deduction would have brought your rental income down to roughly 15% instead of almost 30%.
You leave depreciation on the table.
Standard depreciation (AfA) of 3%, when a remaining-useful-life appraisal, declining-balance new-build AfA (§ 7 Abs. 5a EStG) or heritage AfA (§ 7h/§ 7i) would give you noticeably more write-off per year.
The 10-year holding period and the three-property rule are a mystery to you.
Selling too early triggers § 23 EStG – or you unknowingly slip into commercial property trading (gewerblicher Grundstückshandel) and lose tax exemption entirely.
Post-acquisition costs eat up your deductible expenses.
Renovating right after purchase above the 15% threshold (§ 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1a EStG) – and immediately deductible costs are suddenly spread over 33 or 50 years.
Full real estate transfer tax on every deal.
Up to 6.5% per acquisition – without anyone checking whether a share deal or a structured transfer could reduce the burden.
Your tax advisor thinks in properties, not in wealth.
They fill in the rental-income schedule (Anlage V) – but nobody plans the holding company, family pool, succession or the financing structure across the whole portfolio.
What changes for you
Less tax. More structure. A portfolio that grows predictably.
We are not a classic tax firm. We deliver what you as an investor really need – a structure that cuts tax and secures wealth.
The right holding structure.
Private ownership, an asset-holding GmbH or a holding company – for every property type we determine the tax-optimal wrapper and capture the extended trade-tax deduction wherever it applies.
Maximum depreciation per year.
We review remaining-useful-life appraisals, declining-balance new-build AfA and heritage AfA and extract every legal write-off that reduces your taxable surplus.
Tax-free sale – when you want it.
We monitor the 10-year holding period and the three-property rule so that sales stay tax-free and you don't unintentionally become a commercial property trader.
Every acquisition planned for tax in advance.
Before you sign at the notary we clarify purchase-price allocation, real estate transfer tax, financing and post-acquisition costs – not months later at tax-return time.
Wealth thought through across generations.
A family pool, an asset-holding GmbH & Co. KG and the gift-tax allowances – we transfer wealth to the next generation with minimal tax.
Clear metrics for the whole portfolio.
Net rental yield, return on equity and tax ratio per property and across the entire portfolio – you always know which deal genuinely pays off.
Personally from Karsten Guhr
Real estate rarely fails because of location. It fails because of the wrong structure: a portfolio held privately, depreciation left unused and an unplanned sale that breaks the holding period. This is exactly where we come in. We build the structure around your wealth before the next acquisition – so that every euro of rent and every sale is thought through for tax.
We know your business
We speak real estate language.
Extended trade-tax deduction, § 23 EStG, the three-property rule, post-acquisition costs, share deals, declining-balance AfA, family pools – we know how a real estate portfolio works for tax. You won't waste time explaining your business to us.
- 01
Asset-holding GmbH
The extended trade-tax deduction under § 9 Nr. 1 Satz 2 GewStG – pure letting stays at an effective ~15% instead of almost 30%. Requirements and harmful side activities cleanly delineated.
- 02
Speculation period § 23 EStG
The 10-year holding period on privately held property decides whether your capital gain stays tax-free. We monitor deadlines and plan sales on solid legal ground.
- 03
Three-property rule & commercial trading
Selling more than three properties within five years can constitute commercial property trading – with trade tax and loss of tax exemption. We keep you on the safe side.
- 04
Depreciation (AfA) optimisation
Straight-line 3% from 2023, declining-balance new-build AfA (§ 7 Abs. 5a EStG), heritage and redevelopment AfA (§ 7h/§ 7i) and a shorter remaining useful life via appraisal – we combine whatever yields the highest deduction.
- 05
Post-acquisition production costs
The 15% threshold of § 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1a EStG within the first three years decides between immediate deduction and depreciation. We time renovations correctly for tax.
- 06
Real estate transfer tax & share deal
Purchase-price allocation, shareholding thresholds and share-deal structures – we check where real estate transfer tax can be legally reduced on acquisition.
- 07
Financing structure & interest barrier
Debt, shareholder loans and the interest barrier (Zinsschranke, § 4h EStG / § 8a KStG) – we structure your financing so interest stays fully deductible.
- 08
Inheritance/gift tax & family pool
An asset-holding GmbH & Co. KG, staggered transfers across the ten-year gift-tax allowances and usufruct models – wealth moves to the next generation tax-efficiently.
Industry benchmarks
We know the yields of your asset class. And the after-tax levers.
We support over 50 real estate clients nationwide and see real property calculations – not brochure promises. We know what net rental yield is realistic in your segment, where you should be, and which tax levers lift your after-tax return.
Typical net rental yield
- 3.0 – 4.5%Private buy-and-hold ownerResidential · § 23 EStG and AfA are the decisive levers
- 3.5 – 5.5%Buy-and-hold real estate GmbHExtended trade-tax deduction cuts the tax ratio to around 15%
- 8 – 15%Fix & flip / commercial tradingMargin over yield · commercial property trading is intended here
- 12 – 20%Project developerProject margin on equity · financing and VAT structure decide
How we lift your after-tax return – legally and systematically:
- Asset-holding GmbHThe extended trade-tax deduction under § 9 Nr. 1 Satz 2 GewStG cuts the ongoing burden on pure letting from almost 30% to an effective ~15%.
- Depreciation (AfA) optimisationRemaining-useful-life appraisals, declining-balance new-build AfA (§ 7 Abs. 5a) and heritage AfA (§ 7h/§ 7i) raise annual depreciation well beyond the standard 3%.
- Holding structureCapital gains and dividends from property GmbHs stay around 95% tax-free in the holding under § 8b KStG (Corporate Income Tax Act) – ideal for reinvesting.
- Share deal & purchase-price allocationStructured share purchases and a defensible allocation to land, building and fixtures reduce real estate transfer tax and raise the depreciation base.
- Family pool & giftingAn asset-holding GmbH & Co. KG and the ten-year gift-tax allowances transfer wealth with minimal tax – while you keep control.
- Financing & interest structureShareholder loans and financing on either side of the interest barrier (Zinsschranke, § 4h EStG) keep your interest fully deductible.
Why GUHR
Tax advisory that finally thinks in terms of wealth.
We don't want to be the next advisor who only fills in the rental-income schedule. We want to be the partner who makes your portfolio safer, more tax-efficient and predictable across generations.
Real estate specialisation
Over 50 real estate mandates in recent years – we know the typical mistakes, tax traps and structuring levers from buy-and-hold owner to project developer.
Nationwide · digital
Set up entirely digitally. Whether your portfolio sits in Munich, Hamburg, Leipzig or Berlin – we work everywhere equally fast and paperless.
Before the acquisition, not after
We review structure, real estate transfer tax and financing before the notary appointment – not once the deal is beyond saving for tax.
Personal, not anonymous
A dedicated contact who knows your portfolio, your properties and your goals. Answers in hours, not weeks.
More than tax advisory
A network of active investors. Included.
With GUHR you join a client circle you'd otherwise only meet at investor conferences. Buy-and-hold owners and capital investors who speak openly about structures, financing, acquisitions and succession – because they trust the same advisor.
A selection of our real estate client base
We name specific clients only with their consent. In the initial consultation we show you relevant cases from your niche.
What this means for you in practice:
- 01
Investor round-tables
Quarterly small-group meetings – topics such as building a holding, financing, acquisition strategy and succession. By invitation, under NDA.
- 02
Peer benchmarks
We mirror your metrics anonymously against comparable portfolios of your size and asset class. So you see where your yield and tax ratio really stand.
- 03
Partner network
Looking for a financier, a notary experienced in structuring, an appraiser for remaining useful life or an off-market deal? We connect you directly.
Head office Berlin · clients from Sylt to Garmisch
Nationwide · 100 % digital
One firm. Available anywhere in Germany.
Whether Berlin, Munich or somewhere in between: we run every mandate fully digital – DATEV-connected, signed PDFs, video meetings. No commuting, no postal delays, no 90s-style bookkeeping.
- 01
DATEV Unternehmen online
Receipts, banking, payroll, reports – you work in the standard interface every German tax advisor speaks. No vendor lock-in.
- 02
Video meetings instead of on-site visits
Quarterly review, tax strategy, holding check – via video with screen sharing. You save half a day every time.
- 03
Signed PDFs & digital powers of attorney
Tax filings, annual accounts, contracts – signed via qualified e-signature. Accepted by the tax office, done in minutes.
How we work with investors
From first call to a tax-optimised structure.
In an average of 14 days from the decision to switch to running digital operations.
Initial call & portfolio check
30 minutes. We review your holding structure, tax ratio and the biggest levers across your portfolio – free.
01
Onboarding in 14 days
We handle the switch from your current advisor, set up DATEV and connect banking, property bookkeeping and your existing management tools.
02
Structure & ongoing support
We implement the right structure – asset-holding GmbH, holding company, family pool – and provide ongoing property metrics, deadline monitoring and proactive advice before every acquisition.
03
Annual review & strategy
Annual accounts, tax optimisation and a clear plan for upcoming acquisitions, sales and wealth succession – not a look back, but a roadmap.
04
030 555 721 370FAQ
Answers for real estate investors.
What clients ask us most before switching.
Initial consultation for real estate investors
What your portfolio gives away in tax – we'll show you in 30 minutes.
You outline your portfolio, we name the concrete levers (asset-holding GmbH, extended trade-tax deduction, depreciation optimisation, share deal, family pool) and send a written proposal within 48 hours. Nationwide and free.