1. The Gesellschaft von Freunden und Förderern der Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf e. V. (association) and all of their managed foundations are acknowledged as charitable due to promotion of the general public in the field of research and sciences.
2. Donations and contributions to the association as well as donations, contributions and allowances to the foundations are income-tax deductible for the providing person (natural person), namely up to 20% of the total earnings or 4% of the total revenue and of the salaries and wages paid in the respective calendar year.
3. Legal persons, however, can claim a tax deduction of 20% of the income or 4% of the total revenue and of the salaries and wages paid in the respective calendar year.
4. Substantial donations which are exceeding these limits can be deducted in the year of the donation according to the abovementioned maximum amounts. The remaining part can be carried forward during five years.
5. Donations which are provided by a natural person to a foundation’s capital reserve (new foundation and foundation contribution) may be deducted in the year of the contribution and in the following nine assessment periods, at request of the providing person, up to an amount of € 1,000,000 in addition to the donations considered as special expenses, and beyond the abovementioned permitted extent. This particular deduction amount can be used only once within ten years.
6. Companies (natural and legal persons) may withdraw assets according to the book value when these are gratuitously transferred to the association or one of their foundations immediately after the withdrawal. In this case, tax liability (disclosure of hidden reserves) can be avoided.
7. Donations to the association or to their foundations are exempted from inheritance tax as well as from gift tax.
8. Accrued inheritance or gift tax expires retrospectively insofar as assets attained by inheritance or gift are donated to the association or one of their foundations within 24 months.
9. Furthermore, inheritance tax and gift tax can be amortized by assignment of scientific collections, libraries, manuscripts, archives, works of art or art collections to the tax authorities, when their importance for sciences, history and art is subject to public benefit.
