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The EU regulation on
succession and wills
Roland Krause
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I. Regulation 650 / 12
II. Applicable law
III. Competence
IV. Tax issues
V. Outlook – Practical cases
Content
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I. Today
General rule in Europe:
Estate is governed by the law of nationality
No contracts on sucession, no joint wills, no trusts in most
European countries, forced heirship rules ...
US- European inheritance taxes: pay twice
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I. Regulation 650/2012
Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 4 July 2012 on jurisdiction, applicable law,
recognition and enforcement of decisions and acceptance and
enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession
and on the creation of a European Certificate of Succession
Key points:
-> in force 17 August 2015
-> applicable law : habitual residence, not nationality
-> choice of law towards law of nationality
-> competent court: last residence
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US citizen residing in Antibes, France
• NY assets, WI assets, french property
2 children in the US from first marriage
Second wife is french citizen
• He dies in France without last will
-> rights of the spouse, the children ?
Example 2016 intestate
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Article 21
General rule
1. Unless otherwise provided for in this
Regulation, the law applicable to the succession
as a whole shall be the law of the State in which
the deceased had his habitual residence at the
time of death.
Governing law
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1. A person may choose as the law to govern his
succession as a whole the law of the State whose
nationality he possesses at the time of making
the choice or at the time of death.
A person possessing multiple nationalities may
choose the law of any of the States whose
nationality he possesses at the time of making
the choice or at the time of death.
Art.22 Choice of law
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1. An agreement as to succession regarding the
succession of one person shall be governed, as
regards its admissibility, its substantive validity
and its binding effects between the parties,
including the conditions for its dissolution, by the
law which, under this Regulation, would have
been applicable to the succession of that person
if he had died on the day on which the agreement
was concluded.
Art.25 Erbverträge
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Article 4
General jurisdiction
The courts of the Member State in which the
deceased had his habitual residence at the time
of death
Article 7
In case of choice of law -> courts of that country
Competent court
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Conflicting points
Life insurance outside of estate
Rome I Regulation
-> considered gift inter vivos
Spousal rights as a non-heir
-> usufruct, life long use of family house
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TAX
Double taxation treaty
-> only for income, not for estates
France – USA 1978, 2004:
DOUBLE TAXATION
Taxes on Estates, Inheritances, and Gifts
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Conclusion New regulation opens up new chances for creative
planning, but also has risks not yet foreseeable
- Forced heirship, trusts
- Still two proceedings
- Taxes (not yet) harmonized – double imposition